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OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  NEV/ 
SALESMANSHIJ 


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^31IJ^JiEt  Ta_^SCCCBSS 


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THE    SCIENCE    OF    SALESMANSHIP 
__  HOW  TO  DO  BUSINESS 

THE  ART  OF  READING  HUMAN  NATURF 


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THE  NEW 

SALESMANSH 

AND 

HOW  TO  DO  BUSINESS 

BY 

CHAS.   LINDGREN 


Revised  Edition,  with  Valuable  Additions  by 
J.  M.  FITZGERALD.  M.  D. 

President  of  the  American  Institute  of  Phrenology. 


Personality  in  salesmanship  is  that  force  of  mind  which 
inspires  belief.     It  is  a  force  which  springs  from  knowl- 
edge.   The  real  salesman  obtains  results.    To  say  the 
right  thing  at  the  right  time  requires  good  judg- 
ment and  forethought.      Ambition,  enthu- 
siasm, determination,  resourcefulness 
and  originality  are  essential 
to  success. 

EQUAL  TO  A  SCHOOL   COURSE    IN   SALESMANSHIP 


CHICAGO 

LAIRD  &  LEE,  Publishers 


Copyright,   1909,   by 
CHARLES   LINDGREN 

Copyright,  1909,  191X,  by 
WM.  H.  LEE 

All   rights    reserved. 


HV 


CONTENTS 

The    Various    Temperaments i 

Important — Faculties  of  the  Brain  Analyzed  and  De- 
scribed     viii 

Preparatory  5 

The  Fhysiological  Effect  of  the  Power  of  an  Idea. . .    18 

Tlie  Salesman's  Twenty  Weapons  of  Attack 29 

Handling  the  Sixty-five  Different  Types  of  Buyers. ,  42 

The  Reasoning  Used  in  a  Sales  Argument 80 

The  Four  Styles  of  Presenting  a  Sales  Argument. . .  85 
The  Five  Rules  for  Controlling  the  Sales  Argument. .   87 

Building  the  Sales  Argument 89 

The  Salesman 119 

The  Mail  Order  Business 127 

Correspondence    130 

The  Follow-Up  System 132 

Punctuation  136 

Buying  Goods  by  Mail 138 

Flow  to  Win 143 

The  Retail  Salesman 154 

Dress — Appearance,  and  What  It  Means 162 


CHART  OF  THE  HUMAN  FACULTIES. 


NUMBERS  AND  DEFINITIONS  OF  THE   OUGANS. 


1. 

A. 
2. 

3. 
4. 
6. 
E. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 


Amativeness,  Love  between  the  sexes. 
Conjugality,  Matrimony — love  of  one. 
Parental  Love,  Regard  for  oCCspring, 

pete,  etc. 
Friendship,  Adhesiveness — sociability. 
Inhabitivenesa,  Love  of  home. 
Continuity,  One  thing  at  a  time. 
Vitativeness,  Love  of  life. 
Combativenese,  Resistance — defense. 
Destructlveness,  Executiveness — force. 
Aliment! veness,  Appetite — hunger, 
Acquisitiveness,  Accumulation. 
Secreti veness.  Policy — management. 
Cautiousness,  Prudence — provision. 
Approbati veness,  Ambition — display. 
Solf  esteem,  Self-respect— dignity. 
Firmness,  Decision — perse vcr.'i nee. 
Conscientiousness,  Justice — eijuily. 
Hope,  Expectation — enterprise. 
Spirituality  .Intuition — faith — credulity 
Veneration,  Devotion— respect. 
Benevolence,  Kindness— goodness. 


20.  Constructivfiicss,  Mechanical  ingenuity. 

21.  Ideality,  Retinenient — taste — purity. 

B.  Sublimity,  Love  of  grandeur— infinitude. 

22.  Imitation,  Copying— patterning. 

23.  Mirthf'.ilness,  Jocosenesa— wit — fun. 

24.  Individuality, Observation — desire  to  see. 

25.  Form,  Recollection  of  shape. 

26.  Size,  Measuring  by  the  eye. 

27.  Weight,  Balancing — climbing. 

28.  Color,  Judgment  of  colors. 

29.  Order,  Method— syptem-arrangement. 

30.  Calculation,  Mental  arithmetic. 

31.  Locality,  Recollection  of  places. 

32.  Eventntility,  Memory  of  facts. 

33.  Time,  Cognizance  of  duration. 

34.  Tune,  Sense  of  harmony  and  melody. 

35.  Language,  Expression  of  Ideas. 

IM.  Ciusallty,  Applying  causes  to  effect. 
;;7.  Comparison,  Inductive  reasoning— illus- 
tration. 

C.  Human  Nature,  Perception  of  motive. 

D.  Agreeableness,  Pleasantness — suavity. 


The  Various  Temperaments 

The  salesman  should  become  so  proficient  in  the  study 
of  human  nature,  that  he  can,  in  less  than  a  half  minute, 
tell  the  predominant  element  of  temperament  in  his  pro- 
spective buyer,  that  he  may  not  only  get  that  person's  at- 
tention, but  awaken  and  hold  his  interest  while  he  pre- 
sents and  explains  the  merits  and  acceptable  side  of  his 
g-oods,  or  article.  The  surest  method  to  pursue  is  to 
study  the  phrenological  system  of  temperaments.  We 
will  classify  them  briefly  under  three  heads,  viz.,  The 
mental  or  thought  producing,  the  motive,  or  will  type, 
the  vital  or  feeling  type.  These  have  an  anatomical  and 
physiological  basis  and  are  very  simple  and  com- 
prehensive. 

The  Mental  temperament  embraces  the  brain  and  ner- 
vous system  and  is  the  instrument  through  which  mind 
is  manifested  and  developes  sensation,  emotion,  thought 
and  feeling.  A  person  in  whom  the  mental  temperament 
predominates  has  a  very  large  head  for  the  body.  The 
forehead  is  large,  being  broad  and  high ;  the  upper  side- 
head  is  expanded,  the  base  of  the  brain  is  narrow  and 
small;  the  face  is  pyriform  in  shape,  the  features  are 
delicately  cut,  if  not  sharp ;  the  countenance  is  mobile 
and  very  expressive ;  the  skull  delicate  and  thin,  as  are  all 
the  bones  of  the  body.  The  figure  is  not  strongly  marked 
like  the  motive  temperament ;  seldom  imposing,  but  may 
be  graceful  and  elegant ;  the  muscles  are  small  and  com- 


part  in  quality,  adapted  to  rapid  action  rather  than 
strength.  In  short  the  whole  structure  is  distinguished 
for  its  fineness  and  delicacy.    Such  persons  are  very  quick 

in  their  motions  and  have 
great  sensitiveness  to  pain  and 
suffering.  They  will  be  in- 
clined to  study,  think,  write, 
teach  and  speak ;  to  do  indoor 
head  work  in  preference  to 
manual  labor.  The  mind  will 
generally  predominate  over  the 
body  and  with  fair  culture,  the 
person  will  be  clear-headed, 
intense,  susceptible  to  enjoy- 
ment and  suffering  and  to  ev- 
ery internal  and  external  in- 
fluence. The  brain  makes  the  whole  body  its  servant  and 
hence  the  whole  body  is  the  medium  of  mental  manifesta- 
tion. If  the  brain  is  larger  in  proportion  than  the  body  it 
is  liable  to  exhaust  the  body,  because  the  exhausting 
power  is  in  the  brain.  It  is  proper  to  call  this  tempera- 
ment mental  rather  than  nervous.  Some  are  nervous 
because  they  have  taken  strong  tea,  coft'ee,  tobacco,  or 
other  poisons,  and  also  from  over  work,  dissipation  or 
bereavement  of  family  or  friends;  in  these  cases  the 
nervous  system  is  keyed  up  too  high.  But  the  mental 
being  dependent  upon  nerve,  is  indicated  when  there  is 
a  predominance  of  brain  and  nervous  force  over  bone 
and  vitality. 

The  Motive  terrtperament  is  indicated  by  large  bones, 
strong,  hard  muscles,  prominent  joints  and  an  angular 
figure,  usually  associated  with  more  than  average  height ; 


the  shoulders  are  broad,  the  abdomen  is  moderate  in 
fulhiess,  the  face  is  oblong,  the  cheek  bones  are  rather 
high,  the  jaws  large,  the  teeth  strong,  the  features  in  gen- 
eral rugged  and  prominent.  The  expression  of  the  face 
is  striking,  it  is  strong,  earnest,  determined  and  probably 

severe  and  stern.  In  propor- 
tion as  there  are  good  bones 
and  muscles  there  is  power  in 
the  constitution,  power  to 
endure,  to  sustain  hardship,  to 
overcome  obstacles  in  the 
way.  It  is  the  machinery  of 
the  body.  A  man  who  has 
a  strong,  muscular  frame  will 
walk  rather  than  ride  and 
will  delight  to  take  active  ex- 
ercise. The  motive  tempera- 
ment is  connected  with  action, 
motion,  endurance,  hardihood  and  toughness.  This  tem- 
perament inclines  a  person  to  labor,  to  be  industrious,  to 
desire  constant  employment  and  to  work  without  fatigue. 
They  are  not  so  polished  and  refined  in  their  manners, 
with  the  same  opportunities  for  mingling  in  refined  society, 
the  same  amount  of  training  and  discipline  as  those  who 
have  the  mental  temperament.  They  are  more  thorough, 
plodding,  tenacious,  direct,  plain,  practical,  efficient  and 
persevering. 


Motive. 


The  Vital  Temperament. 

The  vital  includes  three  classes  of  organs,  the  lym- 
phatics, the  blood  vessels  and  the  glands,  which,  through 
their  function  of  absorption,  circulation  and  secretion, 


ui 


are  the  source  of  the  body's  nourishment  and  purifica- 
tion. Persons  of  the  vital  temperament  are  characterized 
by  stature  of  medium  height  and  by  breadth  of  body, 
rather  than  height.  The  bones  and  muscles  are  not  so 
h.eavy  or  strongly  developed  as  in  the  motive  tempera- 
ment. The  chest  is  full,  the  abdomen  rounded  and  large, 
tlie  limbs  plump  and  tapering,  the  hands  and  feet  rela- 
tively small,  the  neck  comparatively  short  and  thick,  and 
th.e  face  corresponds  with  the  other  parts,  and  is  well 
filled   out  with  adipose  tissue,   while  the  expression  is 

lively,  frank  and  good  natured. 
As  Washington  Irving  puts 
it,  "who  ever  saw  a  fat  man 
leading  a  riot?"-  They  tend 
toward  physical  activity  with 
mental  facility  and  versatility, 
are  distinguished  for  elasticity, 
rather  than  firmness,  for  more 
diligence  than  persistency. 
They  have  a  ready  perception 
and  an  active  imagination  and 
express  themselves  with  quick- 
ness and  brilliancy. 
A  balance  of  power  in  the  organization  is  much  more 
desirable.  We  need  a  framework  of  good  bones  and 
muscles  as  well  as  good  nerves  and  a  healthy  brain.  We 
have  spoken  of  these  temperaments  when  each  has  been 
predominant,  and  the  other  two  rather  neutral  in  the  in- 
dividual. It  is  a  very  common  thing  for  a  person  to 
possess  two  of  the  temperaments  quite  harmoniously  de- 
veloped and  the  third  very  deficient.  Then  again  an  oc- 
casional man  or  woman  wlio  is  blessed  with  a  perfect 


Vital. 


blending  of  the  three ;  they  have  what  we  term  a  bal- 
anced temperament.  They  have  a  good  sized,  well  pro- 
portioned head,  rather  large  bones  and  powerful  mus- 
cles, and  the  vital  organs  are  large  enough  to  round  out 
the  body.  Such  as  are  thus  fortunately  organized,  if 
properly  educated  and  trained  to  industry  and  thrift  are 
capable  of  turning  their  head  and  hand  to  any  line  of 
thought  and  work  with  almost  equal  facility  and  success 
of  effort. 

The  Kinds  of  Salesmanship  to  Which  the  Various 
Temperaments  are  Adapted, 
Men  of  the  mental  temperament  who  wish  to  become 
salesmen  should  adapt  themselves  to  things  that  call  for 
active  sensibilities  and  artistic  tastes,  such  as  fine  cloth- 
ing, gentlemen's  furnishings,  books,  dry  goods,  art  goods, 
etc.    The  motive  temperament  should  deal  in  something 

that  has  resistance  and 
strength,  where  endurance 
and  use  is  the  chief  quality 
and  that  is  of  practical  every- 
day demand  and  necessity,  for 
instance,  mechanical  things, 
hardware  or  machines,  build- 
ing materials,  factory  sup- 
plies, grains,  horses,  cattle,  etc. 
The  vital  temperament  is 
adapted  to  the  selection  of 
''VV/^^^^W^^  anything  good  to  eat  or  drink, 

Balanced.  the  drug  business  or  practical 

household  and  hotel  necessities.  They  are  also  well 
adapted  to  the  dealing  in  clothing  if  they  possess  enough 
of  ideality  and  perception  to  give  taste  and  quickness  of 


discrimination  and  approbative  enough  to  make  them  de- 
sire to  dress  well.  One  may,  in  fact  the  majority  of  peo- 
ple do,  possess  one  of  these  elements  slightly  in  the  lead. 
Two  elements  of  temperament  may  be  well  represented 
and  the  third  weak,  they  could,  therefor,  choose  accord- 
ing to  the  combination  they  possess.  The  person  who  has 
the  three  elements  of  temperament  so  combined  as  to 
produce  a  harmonious  and  well  balanced  organization, — 
we  mean  by  this  where  the  intellect,  feelings  and  v/ill  are 
all  fairly  uniform  in  power, — can  select  from  the  whole 
field  of  things  that  are  to  occupy  the  salesman's  attention 
and  if  a  careful  selection  is  made  and  thoroughly  studied, 
he  can,  other  things  being  equal,  feel  certain  of  achiev- 
ing success. 

Analysis  of  Values. 

For  those  who  are  beginning  as  salesmen,  it  would  be 
wise  to  form  an  estimate  of  a  thing  according  to  the  fol- 
lowing four  laws,  since  these  give  all  the  talking  points 
for  buying  or  selling  a  thing,  i.  e.,  suppose  you  were  buy- 
ing a  suit  of  clothes,  the  first  thing  that  should  be  con- 
sidered is  the  kind  of  material  (first  the  amount,  second 
the  state,  that  is,  whether  it  is  old  or  new  material,  well 
dyed  or  poorly  dyed)  ;  second,  the  make  or  manufacture, 
whether  the  suit  is  finely  tailored,  moderate  or  indif- 
ferent, hand  sewed  or  machine  made;  third,  the  dura- 
bility, which  depends  upon  the  foregoing  points;  fourth, 
the  use,  which  includes  the  term  desirability,  that  is,  is  it 
a  winter  suit,  summer  suit,  dress  suit,  business  suit,  hunt- 
ing suit,  etc.,  is  it  this  year's  style  or  last  year's  style, 
etc.  One  can  analyze  out  the  value  of  anything  by  apply- 
ing these  four  laws  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  given. 


Many  young  men  are  not  highly  developed  in  the  fac- 
ulty of  combativeness  and  in  order  to  become  good  sales- 
men they  require  this  faculty  brought  into  positive  func- 
tion that  they  may  not  give  up  or  become  undecided  and 
discouraged.  Combativeness  functions  through  the 
shoulder  and  arm  muscles,  as  shown  by  the  soldier,  prize- 
fighter, athlete,  etc.,  and  when  well  developed,  it  imparts 
a  feeling  of  enthusiasm,  physical  vigor  and  power  of 
decision  that  no  other  faculty  can  give.  The  best  way 
then,  of  bringing  it  into  proper  function  is  to  take  up 
some  form  of  exercise  that  will  call  into  use  the  shoulder 
and  arm  muscles,  each  morning  immediately  upon  aris- 
ing, devoting  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  to  this.  The  same 
amount  of  time  may  be  devoted  with  profit  in  the  even- 
ing, if  one  feels  the  extra  need.  Again,  the  faculty  can 
be  brought  into  function  by  tackling  one's  hardest  task 
first  and  doing  it  in  a  positive  manner. 

Whenever  one  feels  that  they  are  becoming  excited 
or  that  they  are  likely  to  lose  control  of  themselves,  they 
should  practice  slow  deep  breathing,  breathing  about 
twelve  times  a  minute,  the  usual  number  of  breaths  being 
from  nineteen  to  twenty-one.  The  vagus  nerve,  which 
controls  the  movement  of  the  lungs,  heart  and  stomach, 
can  be  set  into  function  to  check  off  the  activity  of  the 
heart  beat  by  slow  rhythmic  breaths.  In  that  way  the 
heart  does  not  pump  into  the  base  of  the  brain  an  exces- 
sive quantity  of  blood,  giving  either  a  feeling  of  excite- 
ment, anger  or  confusion.  This  is  of  importance  if  one 
is  going  to  call  upon  a  person  whom  they  know  to  be 
easily  excited  or  to  lose  control  of  their  temper. 


IMPORTANT. 


Faculties  of  the  Brain  Analyzed  and  Described. 

In  the  following  analysis  and  description  of  the  facul- 
ties of  the  human  brain  is  first  given  a  list  of  the  qualities 
which  go  to  make  up  the  respective  faculties,  and  then 
follows  a  description  of  the  characteristics  of  the  persons 
in  whom  these  faculties  are  large  or  small.  The  locations 
of  these  faculties  in  the  brain  are  shown  by  the  chart  at 
the  front  of  the  book. 

Acquisitiveness. 

Qualities:  Economy;  frugality;  the  acquiring,  saving, 
and  hoarding  instinct;  laying  up  a  surplus,  and  allowing 
nothing  to  be  wasted ;  desire  to  possess  and  own ;  the 
mine  and  thine  feeling ;  claiming  of  one's  own  things ; 
love  of  trading  and  amassing  property.  Adapted  to 
man's  laying  up  the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life 
against  a  time  of  future  need.  Perversion — A  miserly- 
grasping,  close-fisted  penuriousness. 

Large. — Save  for  future  use  what  is  not  wanted  for 
present ;  allow  nothing  to  go  to  waste ;  turn  everything  to 
a  good  account ;  buy  closely  and  make  the  most  of  every- 


thing-;  are  industrious,  economical,  and  vigorously  em- 
ploy all  means  to  accumulate  property,  and  desire  to  own 
and  possess  much ;  with  large  social  organs,  industriously 
acquire  property  for  domestic  purposes,  yet  are  saving  in 
the  family;  with  very  large  Adhesiveness  (Friendship) 
and  Benevolence,  are  industrious  in  acquiring  property, 
yet  spend  it  too  freely  upon  friends;  with  large  Hope 
added,  are  too  apt  to  indorse  for  them ;  with  small  secre- 
tiveness,  and  activity  greater  than  power,  are  liable  to 
overdo,  and  take  on  too  much  work  in  order  to  save  so 
much,  as  often  to  incur  sickness,  and  thus  lose  more  than 
gain ;  with  large  Approbativeness  and  small  Secretive- 
ness,  boast  of  wealth,  but  with  large  Secretiveness,  keep 
pecuniary  affairs  secret;  with  large  Constructiveness,  in- 
cline to  make  money  by  engaging  in  some  mechanical 
branch  of  business ;  with  large  Cautiousness,  are  provi- 
dent; with  large  Ideality,  keep  things  very  nice,  and  are 
tormented  by  whatever  mars  beauty ;  with  large  intel- 
lectual organs,  love  to  accumulate  books,  and  whatever 
facilitates  intellectual  progress;  with  large  Veneration 
and  Self-Esteem,  set  great  store  on  antique  and  rare 
coins,  and  specimens,  etc. 

Small. — Hold  money  loosely;  spend  it  often  without 
getting  its  value ;  care  little  how  money  goes ;  with  Hope 
very  large,  enjoy  money  today  without  saving  for  tomor- 
row ;  and  with  large  Approbativeness  and  Ideality  added, 
and  only  average  Causality,  are  prodigal,  and  spend 
money  to  poor  advantage ;  contract  debts  without  provid- 
ing for  their  payment,  etc. 


IX 


Small. — Dislike  the  opposite  sex,  and  distrust  and  re- 
fuse to  assimilate  with  them ;  feel  little  sexual  love,  or 
desire  to  marry;  are  cold,  coy,  distant,  and  reserved 
toward  the  other  sex ;  experience  but  little  of  the  beau- 
tifying and  elevating  influence  of  love,  and  should  not 
marry,  because  incapable  of  appreciating  its  relations  and 
making  a  companion  happy. 

Approbativeness. 

Qualities:  Regard  for  character,  appearances,  etc. ; 
love  of  praise ;  desire  to  excel  and  be  esteemed ;  ambition ; 
affability;  politeness,  desire  to  display  and  show  off; 
sense  of  honor;  desire  for  a  good  name,  for  notoriety, 
fame,  eminence,  distinction,  and  to  be  well  thought  of ; 
pride  of  character ;  sensitiveness  to  the  speeches  of  peo- 
ple; and  love  of  popularity.  Adapted  to  the  reputable 
and  disgraceful.  Perversion — Vanity ;  affectation  ;  cere- 
moniousness  ;  aristocracy  ;  pomposity  ;  eagerness  for  pop- 
ularity, outside  display,  etc. 

Large. — Love  commendation,  and  are  cut  by  censure; 
are  keenly  alive  to  the  smiles  and  frowns  of  public  opin- 
ion ;  mind  what  people  say ;  strive  to  show  off  to  advan- 
tage, and  are  affable,  courteous,  and  desirous  of  pleasing; 
love  to  be  in  company ;  stand  on  etiquette  and  ceremony ; 
aspire  to  do  and  become  something  great;  set  much  by 
appearances,  and  are  mortified  by  reproach ;  with  large 
Cautiousness  and  moderate  Self-Esteem,  are  careful  to 
take  the  popular  side,  and  fear  to  face  ridicule  of  others ; 
yet,    with    Conscientiousness    and    Combativeness    large, 


stick  to  the  right,  though  unpopular,  knowing  that  it  will 
ultimately  confer  honor. 

Small. — Care  little  for  the  opinions  of  others,  even  of 
friends ;  are  comparatively  insensible  to  praise ;  disregard 
style  and  fashion ;  despise  etiquette  and  formal  usages ; 
never  ask  what  will  persons  think,  and  put  on  no  outside 
appearances  for  their  own  sake. 

Benevolence. 

Qualities:  Sympathy;  kindness;  humanity;  desire  to 
make  others  happy ;  a  self-sacrificing  disposition ;  philan- 
thropy ;  generosity ;  the  accommodating,  neighborly 
spirit.  Adapted  to  man's  capability  of  making  his  fellow- 
men  happy.     Perversion — Misplaced  sympathies. 

Large. — Delight  to  do  good ;  make  personal  sacrifices 
to  render  others  happy;  cannot  witness  pain  or  distress, 
and  do  what  can  well  be  done  to  relieve  them ;  manifest 
a  perpetual  flow  of  disinterested  goodness ;  with  largee 
Adhesiveness  (Friendship),  Ideality,  and  Approbative- 
ness,  and  only  average  propensities  and  Self-Esteem,  are 
remarkable  for  practical  goodness ;  live  more  for  others 
than  self ;  with  large  domestic  organs,  make  great  sacri- 
fices for  family ;  with  large  reflectives,  are  perpetually  rea- 
soning on  the  evils  of  society,  the  way  to  obviate  them, 
and  to  render  mankind  happy. 

Small. — Care  little  for  happiness  of  man  or  brute,  and 
do  still  less  to  promote  it ;  make  no  disinterested  self- 
sacrifices  ;  are  callous  to  human  woe ;  do  few  acts  of 
kindness,  and  those  grudgingly,  and  have  unbounded 
selfishness. 


»  Calculation. 

Qualities:  Cognizance  of  numbers;  ability  to  reckon 
figures  in  the  head;  mental  arithmetic.  Adapted  to  the 
relations  of  numbers. 

Large. — Excel  in  mental  arithmetic,  in  adding,  sub- 
tracting, multiplying,  dividing,  reckoning  figures,  casting 
accounts,  etc.,  in  the  head;  with  large  perceptives,  have 
excellent  business  talents ;  and  large  Locality  and  Causal- 
ity added,  excel  in  mathematics. 

Small. — Are  dull  and  incorrect  in  adding,  subtracting, 
dividing,  etc.;  dislike  figuring;  are  poor  in  arithmetic, 
both  practical  and  theoretical,  and  should  cultivate  this 
faculty. 

Causality. 

Qualities:  Perception  and  application  of  causation; 
thought,  originality ;  comprehensiveness  of  mind ;  fore- 
thought and  resource-creating  power ;  adaptation  of  ways 
and  means  to  ends.  Adapted  to  nature's  institutes,  plans, 
cause,  and  effect.  Perverted,  it  reasons  in  favor  of  un- 
truth and  injurious  ends. 

Large. — Desire  to  know  the  why  and  wherefore  of 
things,  and  to  investigate  their  laws;  reason  clearly  and 
correctly  from  causes  to  effects,  and  from  facts  to  their 
causes ;  have  uncommon  capabilities  of  planning,  contriv- 
ing, inventing,  creating,  being  resourceful,  and  making 
the  head  save  the  hands;  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone; 
predicate  results,  and  arrange  things  so  as  to  succeed ; 
synthetize,  and  put  things  together  well. 

Small. — Are    deficient    in     reasoning    and     planning 


power ;  need  perpetual  telling  and  showing ;  seldom  ar- 
range things  beforehand,  and  then  poorly;  should  work 
under  others ;  lack  force  of  idea  and  strength  of  under- 
standing. 

Cautiousness. 

Qualities:  Carefulness;  watchfulness;  prudence;  pro- 
vision against  want  and  danger;  solicitude,  anxiety;  ap- 
prehension ;  security ;  protection ;  avoiding  prospective 
evils;  the  sentinel.  Adapted  to  ward  off  surrounding 
dangers,  and  make  those  provisions  necessary  for  future 
happiness.  Perversion — Irresolution  ;  timidity ;  procras- 
tination ;  indecision ;  fright ;  panic. 

Large. — Are  always  on  the  lookout;  take  ample  time 
to  get  ready ;  provide  against  prospective  dangers ;  make 
everything  safe ;  guard  against  losses  and  evils ;  incur  no 
risks ;  sure  bind  that  they  may  sure  find ;  with  large  Com- 
batlveness,  Hope,  and  an  active  temperament,  drive, 
Jehu-like,  whatever  is  undertaken,  yet  drive  cautiously ; 
lay  on  the  lash,  yet  hold  a  tight  rein,  so  as  not  to  upset 
plans. 

Small. — Are  rash,  reckless,  luckless ;  and  with  large 
Hope,  always  in  trouble ;  with  large  Combativeness, 
plunge  headlong  into  difficulties  in  full  sight,  and  should 
assiduously  cultivate  this  faculty. 

Color. 

Qualities:  Perception,  recollection,  and  application  of 
colors,  and  delight  in  them.     Adapted  to  that  infinite 


variety  of  coloring  interspersed  throughout  nature.  Per- 
verted— Are  over-particular  to  have  colors  just  right. 

Large — Can  discern  and  match  colors  by  the  eye  with 
accuracy ;  with  Comparison  large,  can  compare  them 
closely,  and  detect  similarities  and  differences ;  with  Con- 
structiveness.  Form,  Size  and  Imitation  large,  can  excel 
in  painting. 

Small. — May  tell  the  primary  colors  from  each  other, 
yet  rarely  notice  the  color  of  dress,  eyes,  hair,  etc. ;  can 
not  describe  persons  and  things  by  them,  and  evince  a 
marked  deficiency  in  coloring,  taste,  and  talent. 

COMBATIVENESS. 

Qualities:  Resistance-opposition;  defense;  defiance; 
boldness;  courage;  spirit;  desire  to  encouunter;  self-pro- 
tection ;  presence  of  mind ;  determination ;  get-out-of-my- 
way;  let-me-and-mine-alone.  Adapted  to  man's  requisi- 
tion for  overcoming  obstacles,  contending  for  rights,  etc. 
Perversion — Anger ;  contrary  ;  fault-finding ;  contention  ; 
ill-nature ;  and  fighting. 

Large. — Are  bold,  resolute,  fearless,  determined,  dis- 
posed to  grapple  with  and  remove  obstacles,  and  drive 
whatever  is  undertaken ;  love  debate  and  opposition ;  are 
perfectly  cool  and  intrepid ;  have  great  presence  of  mind 
in  times  of  danger,  and  nerve  for  encounter. 

Small. — Are  inert  and  inefficient ;  can  accomplish  little  ; 
never  feel  self-reliant  or  strong;  and  with  large  moral 
and  intellectual  organs,  are  too  gentle  and  easily  satisfied ; 
with  large  Cautiousness,  run  to  others  for  protection,  and 
are  always  complaining  of  bad  treatment. 

svi 


Comparison. 

Qualities:  Inductive  reasoning;  ability  and  disposi- 
tion to  analyze,  classify,  compare,  draw  inferences,  etc. 
Perverted — Is  too  redundant  in  proverbs,  fables,  and 
figures  of  speech. 

Large. — Reason  clearly  and  correctly  from  conclusions 
and  scientific  facts  up  to  the  laws  which  govern  them ; 
discern  the  known  from  the  unknown ;  detect  error  by  its 
incongruity  with  facts ;  have  excellent  talent  for  com- 
paring, explaining,  expounding,  criticising,  exposing, 
etc. ;  employ  similes  and  metaphors  well ;  put  this  and  that 
together,  and  draw  correct  inferences  from  them. 

Small. — Have  a  poor  talent  for  drawing  inferences ; 
lack  appropriateness  in  everything,  and  should  cultivate 
this  faculty. 

Conjugality. 

Qualities:  Monogamy ;  Union  for  Life ;  the  pairing 
instinct;  attachment  to  one  conjugal  partner;  duality  and 
exclusiveness  of  love.  Perverted  action — A  broken  heart ; 
jealousy ;  envy  towards  love  rivals. 

Large. — Seek  one,  and  but  one,  sexual  mate;  experi- 
ence the  keenest  disappointment  when  love  is  interrupted ; 
are  restless  until  the  afifections  are  anchored ;  are  perfectly 
satisfied  with  the  society  of  that  one;  and  should  exert 
every  faculty  to  win  the  heart  and  hand  of  the  one  be- 
loved, nor  allow  anything  to  alienate  the  affections. 

Small. — Have  but  little  conjugal  love,  and  seek  the 
promiscuous  society  and  affection  of  the  opposite  sex, 
rather  than  a  single  partner  for  life.     Would  incline  to 


regard  an  engagement  as  a  kind  of  bondage,  and  would 
prefer  to  have  no  positive  engagement  until  the  near 
approach  of  the  marriage. 

Conscientiousness. 

Qualities:  Moral  principle;  integrity;  perception  and 
love  of  right;  innate  sense  of  accountability  and  obliga- 
tion; love  of  justice  and  truth;  regard  for  duty;  desire 
for  moral  purity  and  excellence;  disposition  to  fulfill 
promises,  agreements,  etc. ;  that  internal  monitor  which 
approves  the  right  and  condemns  the  wrong;  sense  of 
guilt ;  penitence ;  contrition ;  desire  to  reform.  Perverted 
— It  makes  one  do  wrong  from  conscientious  scruples, 
and  torments  with  undue  self-condemnation. 

Large. — Love  the  right  as  right,  and  hate  the  wrong 
because  wrong;  are  honest,  faithful,  upright  in  motive; 
mean  well;  consult  duty  before  expediency;  feel  guilty 
when  conscious  of  having  done  wrong;  ask  forgiveness 
for  the  past,  and  try  to  do  better  in  the  future;  with 
strong  propensities,  will  sometimes  do  wrong,  but  be 
exceedingly  sorry  therefor ;  and,  with  a  wrong  education 
added,  are  liable  to  do  wrong,  thinking  it  right,  because 
these  propensities  warp  conscience,  yet  mean  well ;  with 
large  Cautiousness,  are  yet  solicitous  to  know  what  is 
right,  and  careful  to  do  it;  with  weaker  Cautiousness, 
sometimes  do  wrong  carelessly  or  indifferently,  yet  after- 
wards repent  it. 


xtIU 


CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 

Qualities:  The  making  instinct ;  the  tool-usiug  talent ; 
sHght  of  hand  in  constructing  things.  Adapted  to  a 
man's  need  of  things  made,  such  as  houses,  clothes,  and 
manufactured  articles  of  all  kinds.  Perverted — It  wastes 
time  and  money  on  perpetual  motion  and  other  futile  in- 
ventions. 

Large. — Love  to  make,  are  able  and  disposed  to  tinker, 
mend,  and  fix  up,  build,  manufacture,  employ  machinery, 
etc. ;  show  mechanical  skill  and  dexterity  in  whatever  is 
done  with  the  hands;  with  large  Causality  and  Percep- 
tives,  are  inventive. 

Small. — Are  deficient  in  the  tool-using  capability; 
awkward  in  making  and  fixing  up  things;  poor  in  un- 
derstanding and  managing  machinery ;  take  hold  of  work 
awkwardly  and  wrong  end  first;  write  poorly  and  lack 
both  mental  and  physical  construction. 

Continuity. 

Qualities:  A  patient  dwelling  upon  one  thing  until  it 
is  done;  consecutiveness  and  connectedness  of  thought 
and  feeling.  Adapted  to  a  man's  need  of  doing  one 
thing  at  a  time.  Perversion — Prolixity,  repetition,  and 
excessive  exemplification. 

Large. — Give  the  whole  mind  to  one  thing  in  hand  till 
it  is  finished ;  complete  at  the  time ;  keep  up  one  common 
train  of  thought,  or  current  of  feeling,  for  a  long  time; 
are  disconcerted  if  attention  is  directed  to  a  second  object, 
^nd  cannot  duly  consider  either. 


Small. — With  activity  great,  commence  many  things, 
yet  finish  few ;  crave  novelty  and  variety ;  have  many 
irons  in  the  fire;  lack  application;  jump  rapidly  from 
promise  to  conclusion,  and  fail  to  connect  and  carry  out 
ideas ;  lack  steadiness  and  consistency  of  character ;  may 
be  brilliant,  yet  cannot  be  profound ;  fly  rapidly  from  one 
thing  to  another;  have  many  good  thoughts,  yet  they  are 
scattered;  and  talk  on  a  great  variety  of  subjects  in  a 
short  time,  but  fail  sadly  in  consecutiveness  of  feeling, 
thought  and  action. 

Destructiveness. 

Qualities:  Executiveness  ;  severity  ;  sternness  ;  the  de- 
stroying and  pain  causing  faculty  ;  harshness  ;  extermina- 
tion ;  indignation ;  disposition  to  break,  crush  and  tear 
down ;  the  walk-right-through  spirit.  Adapted  to  man's 
destroying  whatever  is  prejudicial  to  his  happiness ;  per- 
forming and  enduring  surgical  operations ;  undergoing 
pain,  etc.  Perversion — Wrath  ;  revenge ;  malice  ;  disposi- 
tion to  murder,  etc. 

Large. — Impart  that  determination,  energy,  and  force 
which  remove  or  destroy  whatever  impedes  progression ; 
with  Firmness  large,  give  that  iron  will  which  adheres  to 
the  very  last,  in  spite  of  everything,  and  carry  points 
anyhow. 

Small. — With  large  moral  faculties,  posses  too  tender 
a  soul  to  enjoy  our  world  as  it  is,  or  to  endure  hardships 
or  bad  treatment ;  can  neither  endure  or  cause  suffering, 
anger  being  so  little  as  to  provoke  only  ridicule,  and  need 
hardness  and  force. 

XX 


Eventuality. 

Qualities:  Memory  of  facts ;  recollection  of  circum- 
stances, news,  occurrences,  and  historical,  scientific  and 
passing  events ;  what  has  been  said,  seen,  heard,  or  once 
known.  Adapted  to  action,  or  those  changes  constantly 
occurring  around  or  within  us. 

Large. — Have  a  clear  and  retentive  memory  of  his- 
torical facts,  general  knowledge,  what  has  been  seen, 
heard,  read,  done,  etc.,  even  in  detail  considering  advan- 
tages, are  well  informed  and  knowing;  desire  to  witness 
and  institute  experiments ;  find  out  what  is  and  has  been, 
and  learn  anecdotes,  particulars,  and  items  of  infonna- 
tion,  and  readily  recall  to  mind  what  has  once  entered 
into  it ;  have  a  good  general  matter-of-fact  memory,  and 
pick  up  facts  readily. 

Small. — Have  a  treacherous  and  confused  memory  of 
circumstances ;  often  forget  what  is  wanted,  what  was 
intended  to  be  said,  done,  etc. ;  have  a  poor  command  of 
knowledge,  are  unable  to  swear  positively  to  details,  and 
should  strenuously  exercise  this  remembering  power. 

Firmness. 

Qualities:  Stability;  decision;  perseverance;  fixedness 
of  purpose ;  tenacity  of  will,  and  aversion  to  change. 
Adapted  to  man's  requisition  for  holding  out  to  the  end. 
Perversion — Obstinacy  ;  willfulness  ;  mulishness  ;  stub- 
bornness ;  unwillingness  to  change  even  when  reason  re- 
quires. 

Large. — Are  set  and  willful;  stick  to  and  carry  out 


what  is  commenced ;  hold  on  long  and  hard ;  continue  to 
the  end,  and  may  be  fully  relied  upon. 

Small. — With  activity  great,  and  the  head  uneven,  are 
fitful,  impulsive,  and,  like  the  weather-vane,  shift  with 
every  changing  breeze,  and  are  ruled  by  the  other  facul- 
ties, and  as  unstable  as  water. 

Form. 

Qualities:  Cognizance  and  recollection  of  shape; 
memory  of  countenances  and  the  looks  of  persons  and 
things  seen ;  perception  of  resemblances,  family  like- 
nesses, etc.  Adapted  to  shape.  Perverted — Sees  imagin- 
ary shapes  of  persons,  things,  etc.,  as  in  delirium  tremens. 

Large. — Notice,  and  for  a  long  time  remember,  the 
faces,  countenances,  forms,  looks,  etc.,  of  persons,  beasts 
and  things  once  seen ;  know  by  sight  many  whose  names 
are  not  remembered. 

Small. — Have  a  poor  recollection  of  persons,  looks, 
etc. ;  often  meet  persons  the  next  day  after  an  introduc- 
tion, or  an  evening  interview,  without  knowing  them ; 
with  Eventuality  large,  may  remember  their  history,  but 
not  their  faces ;  with  Locality  large,  where  they  were 
seen,  but  not  their  looks,  etc. 

Frinedship  (Adhesiveness). 

Qualities:  Social  feeHng;  love  of  society;  desire  to 
congregate,  associate,  visit,  seek  company,  entertain 
friends,  form  and  reciprocate  attachments,  and  indulge 
the  friendly  feelings.     When  perverted  it  forms  attach- 


ments  for  the  unworthy,  and  leads  to  bad  company. 
Adapted  to  man's  requisition  for  concert  of  action,  co- 
partnership, combination,  and  community  of  feeling  and 
interest,  and  is  a  leading  element  of  social  relations. 

Large. — Are  cordial,  and  ardent  as  friends ;  readily 
form  friendship,  and  attract  friendly  regards  in  return ; 
must  have  society  of  some  kind ;  with  Benevolence  large, 
are  hospitable,  and  delight  to  entertain  friends ;  with  the 
moral  faculties  large,  seek  the  society  of  the  moral  and 
elevated,  and  can  enjoy  the  friendship  of  no  others ;  with 
the  intellectual  faculties  large,  seek  the  society  of  the  in- 
telligent ;  with  Alimentiveness  large,  love  the  social  ban- 
quet, and  set  the  best  before  friends. 

Small. — Think  and  care  little  for  friends ;  dislike  co- 
partnership ;  are  cold-hearted,  unsocial,  and  selfish ;  take 
little  delight  in  company,  but  prefer  to  be  alone ;  have 
few  friends,  and,  with  large  selfish  faculties,  many  ene- 
mies, and  manifest  too  little  of  this  faculty  to  exert  a 
perceptible  influence  upon  character, 

Hope. 

Qualities:  Expectation ;  anticipation  of  future  suc- 
cess and  happiness.  Adapted  to  man's  relations  with  the 
future.  Perverted,  it  becomes  visionary  and  castle-build- 
ing. 

Large. — Expect  much  from  the  future ;  contemplate 
with  pleasure  the  bright  features  of  life's  picture ;  never 
despond ;  overrate  prospective  good,  and  underrate  and 
overlook  obstacles  and  evils;  calculate  on  more  than  the 


nature  of  the  case  will  warrant ;  expect,  and  hence  at- 
tempt, a  great  deal,  and  are  therefore  always  full  of  busi- 
ness; are  sanguine,  and  rise  above  present  trouble  by 
hoping  for  better  things  in  future,  and  though  disap- 
pointed, hope  on  still ;  build  some  air-castles,  and  live  in 
the  future  more  than  present. 

Small. — Expect  and  undertake  very  little ;  with  large 
Cautiousness,  put  off  till  it  is  too  late ;  are  always  behind ; 
may  embark  in  projects  after  everybody  else  has  suc- 
ceeded, but  will  then  be  too  late,  and  in  general  knock  at 
the  door  just  after  it  has  been  bolted. 

Human  Nature. 

Qualities:  Discernment  of  character;  perception  of 
motives ;  intuitive  physiognomy.  Adapted  to  man's  need 
of  knowing  his  fellow-men.  Perverted,  it  produces  sus- 
piciousness. 

Large. — Read  men  intuitively  from  their  looks,  con- 
versation, manners,  and  walk,  and  other  kindred  signs  of 
character;  with  Individuality  and  Comparison  large,  no- 
tice all  the  little  things  they  do,  and  form  a  correct  esti- 
mate from  them,  and  should  follow  first  impressions  re- 
specting persons ;  with  full  Secretiveness  and  Benevolence 
added,  know  just  how  to  take  men,  and  possess  much 
power  over  mind ;  with  Mirthfulness  and  Ideality  large, 
see  all  the  faults  of  people,  and  make  much  fun  over 
them;  with  compaiison  large,  have  a  talent  for  meta- 
physics, etc. 

Small. — Are  easily  imposed  upon  by  others;  with  large 


Conscientiousness  and  small  Secretiveness,  think  ever>, 
body  tells  the  truth ;  are  too  confiding,  and  fail  sadly  in 
knowing  where  and  how  to  take  things. 

Ideality. 

Qualities:  Perception  and  admiration  of  the  beautiful 
and  perfect ;  good  taste  and  refinement ;  purity  of  feeling  ; 
sense  of  propriety,  elegance,  and  gentility ;  polish  and 
imagination.  Adapted  to  the  beautiful  in  nature  and  art. 
Perverted,  it  gives  fastidiousness  and  extra  niceness. 

Large. — Appreciate  and  enjoy  beauty  and  perfection 
wherever  found,  especially  in  nature ;  give  grace,  purity 
and  propriety  to  expression  and  conduct,  gracefulness 
and  polish  to  manners,  and  general  good  taste  to  all  they 
say  and  do ;  are  pure-minded ;  enjoy  the  ideal  of  poetry 
and  romance. 

Small. — Show  a  marked  deficiency  in  whatever  ap- 
pertains to  taste  and  style,  also  to  beauty  and  sentiment. 

Imitation. 

Qualities:  Ability  and  disposition  to  copy,  take  pat- 
tern and  imitate.  Adapted  to  man's  requisition  for  doing, 
talking,  acting,  etc.,  like  others.  Perverted,  it  copies  even 
their  faults. 

Large. — Have  a  great  propensity  and  ability  to  copy 
and  take  pattern  from  others,  and  do  what  is  seen  done ; 
describe  and  act  out  well. 

Small. — Copy  even  commonplace  matter  wdth  extreme 


difficulty  and  reluctance,  and  generally  do  everything  in 
their  own  way. 

Individuality. 

Qualities:  Observation;  desire  to  see  and  examine; 
cognizance  of  individual  objects.  Adapted  to  individual 
existence,  or  the  thingness  of  things.  It  is  the  door 
through  which  most  forms  of  knowledge  enter  the  mind. 
Perverted,  it  makes  the  starer  and  the  impudently  ob- 
serving. 

Large. — Have  a  great  desire  to  see,  know,  examine, 
experience,  etc. ;  are  great  and  practical  observers  of  men 
and  things ;  see  whatever  is  transpiring  around,  what 
should  be  done,  etc.;  are  quick  of  perception,  and  with 
large  Acquisitiveness,  quick  to  perceive  whatever  apper- 
tains to  property. 

Small. — Observe  only  what  is  thrust  upon  the  atten- 
tion, and  are  quite  deficient  in  this  respect. 

Inhabitiveness. 

Qualities:  The  home  feeling;  love  of  house,  the  place 
where  one  was  born  or  has  lived,  and  of  home  associa- 
tions. Adapted  to  man's  need  of  an  abiding  place,  in 
which  to  exercise  the  family  feelings;  patriotism.  Per- 
version— Homesickness,  when  away  from  home,  and 
needless  pining  after  home. 

Large. — Have  a  strong  desire  to  locate  young,  to  have 
a  home  or  room  exclusively ;  leave  room  with  great  re- 
luctance, and  return  with  extreme  delight ;  soon  become 


attached  to  house,  sleeping-room,  garden,  fields,  furni- 
ture, etc. ;  highly  prized  domestic  associations,  and  are 
not  satisfied  without  a  place  on  which  to  expend  his  home 
instinct. 

Small. — Care  little  for  home ;  leave  it  without  much  re- 
gret. 

Language. 

Qualities:  The  expression  of  all  mental  operations  by 
words,  written  or  spoken,  by  gestures,  looks,  and  actions ; 
the  communicating  faculty  and  instinct  in  general. 
Adapted  to  man's  requisition  for  holding  communication 
with  man.  Perversion — Verbosity,  pleonasm,  circumlo- 
cution ;  excessive  talkativeness,  telling  what  does  harm, 
etc. 

Large. — Express  ideas  and  feelings  well,  both  verbally 
and  in  writing;  can  learn  to  speak  languages  easily; 
recollect  words,  and  commit  to  memory  well ;  have  free- 
dom, copiousness,  and  power  of  expression. 

Small. — Have  poor  lingual  and  communicative  talents ; 
hesitate  for  words ;  speak  v^^ith  extreme  difficulty  and 
very  awkwardly,  and  should  cultivatae  this  faculty  by 
talking  and  writing  much. 

Locality. 

Qualities:  Cognizance  of  place;  recollection  of  the 
looks  of  places,  roads,  scenery,  and  the  location  of  ob- 
jects ;  where  on  a  page  ideas  are  to  be  found,  and  posi- 
tion generally ;  the  geographical  faculty ;  desire  to  see 


places,  and  have  the  abihty  to  find  them.  Adapted  to 
nature's  arrangement  to  space  and  place.  Perverted,  it 
creates  a  cosmopolitic  disposition,  and  would  spend 
everything  in  traveling. 

Large. — Remember  the  whereabouts  of  whatever  they 
see ;  can  carry  the  points  of  the  compass  easily  in  the 
head,  and  are  lost  with  difficulty  either  in  the  city,  woods 
or  country ;  desire  to  see  places,  and  never  forget  them ; 
study  geography  and  astronomy  with  ease,  and  rarely 
forget  where  things  are  seen. 

Small. — Are  decidedly  deficient  in  finding  places,  and 
recollect  them  with  difficulty,  even  when  perfectly  familiar 
with  them. 

MiRTHFULNESS. 

Qualities:  Intuitive  perception  of  the  absurd  and 
ridiculous ;  disposition  and  ability  to  joke  and  make  fun, 
and  laugh  at  what  is  improper,  ill  timed  or  unbecoming ; 
pleasantness ;  facetiousness.  Adapted  to  the  absurd,  in- 
consistent, and  laughable.  Perverted,  it  makes  fun  on 
solemn  occasions,  and  when  there  is  nothing  ridiculous  at 
which  to  laugh. 

Large. — Enjoy  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  absurdity  of 
others  exceedingly,  and  delight  to  make  fun  out  of  every- 
thing not  exactly  proper  or  in  good  taste,  and  are  always 
ready  to  give  a  good  joke  as  get. 

Sinall. — Make  very  little  fun  ;  are  slow  to  perceive,  and 
still  slower  to  return  jokes  ;  seldom  laugh,  and  think  it 
foolish  or  wrong  to  do  so. 


Order. 

Qualities:  Method,  system,  arrangement.  Adapted  to 
Heaven's  first  law.  Perverted,  it  overworks,  annoys 
others  to  keep  things  in  order,  and  is  tormented  by  dis- 
arrangement. 

Large. — Have  a  desire  to  conduct  business  on  method- 
ical principles,  and  to  be  systematic  in  everything. 

Small. — Have  a  very  careless,  inaccurate  way  of  doing 
everything ;  take  a  long  time  to  get  ready ;  can  never  find 
what  is  wanted,  and  have  everything  in  perpetual  confu- 
sion. 

Parental  Love. 

Qualities:  Attachment  to  one's  own  offspring;  love  of 
children,  pets,  and  animals  generally,  especially  those 
young  or  small ;  adapted  to  that  infantile  condition  in 
which  man  enters  the  world,  and  to  children's  need  of 
parental  care  and  education.  This  faculty  renders  chil- 
dren the  richest  treasure  of  their  parents,  casts  into  the 
shade  all  the  toil  and  expense  they  cause,  and  lacerates 
them  with  bitter  pangs  when  death  or  distance  tears  them 
asunder.  It  is  generally  much  larger  in  woman  than  in 
man;  and  nature  requires  mothers  to  take  the  principal 
care  of  infants.  Perverted,  it  spoils  children  by  excessive 
indulgence,  pampering,  and  humoring. 

Large. — Love  their  own  children  devotedly  ;  value  them 
above  all  price,  cheerfully  endure  toil  and  watching  for 
their  sake ;  forbear  with  their  faults,  and  win  their  love. 

Small. — Care  little  for  their  own  children,  and  still  less 
for  those  of  others. 


Secretiveness. 

Qualities:  Self-government;  ability  to  restrain  feel- 
ings ;  policy ;  cunning ;  adapted  to  man's  requisition  for 
controlling  his  animal  nature.  Perverted,  it  causes  du- 
plicity, double-dealing,  lying,  deception,  and  all  kinds  of 
false  pretensions. 

Large. — Incline  to  throw  a  veil  over  countenance,  ex- 
pression and  conduct ;  appear  to  aim  at  one  thing,  while 
accompHshing  another;  love  to  surprise  others;  are 
guarded,  politic,  shrewd,  managing,  employ  concealment, 
and  are  hard  to  be  found  out. 

Small. — Are  very  transparent;  seem  to  be  just  what 
and  all  they  realy  are ;  disdain  concealment  in  all  fonns ; 
carry  the  soul  in  the  hands  and  face,  and  make  way  di- 
rectly to  the  feelings  of  others,  because  expressing  them 
so  unequivocally. 

Self-Esteem. 

Qualities:  Self-appreciation  and  valuation;  self-re- 
spect; self-reliance;  magnanimity;  nobleness;  inde- 
pendence ;  dignity ;  self-satisfaction  and  complacency ; 
love  of  liberty  and  power ;  an  aspirmg,  self-elevating, 
ruling  instinct ;  pride  of  character ;  manliness ;  lofty- 
mindedness,  and  desire  for  elevation.  Adapted  to  the 
superiority,  greatness  and  exalted  dignity  of  human  na- 
ture. Perversion  —  Egotism  ;  hauteur,  forwardness ; 
tyranny;  superciliousness;  imperiousness. 

Large. — Put    a    high    estimate    upon    self — sayings, 


doings,  capabilities ;  fall  back  upon  your  own  un- 
aided resources;  will  not  take  advice;  are  high-minded, 
and  will  never  stoop,  or  demean  self. 

Small. — Feel  diminutive ;  lack  elevation  and  dignity  of 
tone  and  manner;  place  too  low  estimate  on  self,  and  with 
Approbativeness  large,  are  too  anxious  to  appear  well  in 
the  eyes  of  others ;  lack  self-confidence ;  underrate  self, 
and  are  therefore  undervalued  by  others,  and  feel  insig- 
nificant, as  if  in  the  way,  or  trespassing  upon  others ; 
should  cultivate  this  faculty. 


Spirituality. 

Qualities:  Faith;  prescience;  the  "l»-ght  within"; 
trust  in  prophetic  guidings ;  perception  and  feeling  of  the 
spiritual ;  interior  perception  of  truth,  what  is  best,  what 
is  about  to  transpire,  etc.  Adapted  to  man's  prophetic 
gift  and  a  future  life.  Perversion — Superstition;  witch- 
craft ;  and  with  Cautiousness  large,  fear  of  ghosts. 

Large. — Perceive  and  know  things  independent  of  the 
senses  and  intellect,  or,  as  it  were,  by  prophetic  intuition ; 
experience  an  internal  consciousness  of  what  is  best,  and 
that  spiritual  communion  which  constitutes  the  essence  of 
piety ;  love  to  meditate ;  experience  a  species  of  waking 
clairvoyance,  as  it  were  "forewarned." 

Small. — Perceive  spiritual  truths  so  indistinctly  as 
rarely  to  admit  them;  are  not  guided  by  faith,  because 
so  weak ;  must  see  the  fullest  proof  before  believing ;  have 
no  premonitions,  and  disbelieve  in  them. 


ZXXl 


Sublimity. 

Qualities:  Perception  and  appreciation  of  the  Vast, 
Illimitable,  Endless,  Omnipotent  and  Infinite.  Adapted 
to  that  infinitude  which  characterizes  every  department  of 
nature.  Perverted,  it  leads  to  bombast,  and  a  wrong  ap- 
plication of  extravagant  words  and  ideas. 

Large. — Appreciate  and  admire  the  grand,  sublime, 
vast  and  magnificent  in  nature  and  art. 

Small. — Show  a  marked  deficiency  in  this  respect,  and 
should  earnestly  cultivate  it. 

Size. 

Qualities:  Cognizance  of  bulk,  magnitude,  quantity, 
proportion,  etc.,  ability  to  measure  by  the  eye.  Adapted 
to  the  absolute  and  relative  magnitude  of  things.  Per- 
verted, it  is  pained  by  disproportion  and  architectural 
inaccuracies. 

Large. — Have  an  excellent  eye  for  measuring  angles, 
proportions,  disproportions,  and  departures  therefrom. 
This  faculty  is  necessary  to  artisans,  mechanics,  and  all 
kinds  of  dealers,  students,  etc. 

Small. — Are  obliged  always  to  rely  on  actual  measure- 
ments, because  the  eye  is  too  imperfect  to  be  trusted. 

Time. 

Qualities:  Cognizance  and  recollection  of  duration 
and  succession,  the  lapse  of  time,  when  things  occurred, 
etc.,  and  ability  to  carry  the  time  of  the  day  in  the  head ; 


punctuality.  Adapted  to  periodicity.  Perverted,  it  is 
excessively  pained  by  bad  time  in  music  and  not  keeping 
step  in  walking,  etc. 

Large. — Can  generally  tell  when  things  occurred,  at 
least  the  order  of  events,  and  the  length  of  time  between 
one  occurrence  and  another,  etc. ;  tell  the  time  of  day 
without  time-piece  or  sun  well,  and  keep  an  accurate 
chronology  in  the  mind  of  dates  general  and  particular. 

Small. — Fail  to  keep  the  correct  time  in  the  head  or 
awaken  at  appointed  times ;  have  a  confused  and  indis- 
tinct idea  of  the  time  when  things  transpired,  and  forget 
dates. 

Tune. 

Qualities:  The  music  instinct  and  faculty ;  ability  to 
learn  and  remember  tunes  by  rote.  Adapted  to  the  musi- 
cal octave.  Perversion — Excessive  fondness  for  music  to 
the  neglect  of  other  things. 

Large. — Love  music  dearly;  have  a  nice  conception  of 
concord,  discord,  melody,  etc.,  and  enjoy  all  kinds  of 
music,  and  with  large  Imitation,  Constructiveness,  and 
Time,  can  make  most  kinds,  and  play  well  on  musical  in- 
struments. 

Small. — Learn  to  sing  or  play  tunes  with  great  dififi- 
culty,  and  that  mechanically,  without  emotion  or  effect. 

Veneration. 

Qualities:  Devotion;  adoration  of  a  Supreme  Being; 
reverence  for  religion  and  things  sacred ;  disposition  to 


pray,  worship,  and  observe  religious  rites.  Adapted  to 
the  existence  of  a  God,  and  the  pleasures  and  benefits 
experienced  by  man  in  worshiping  him.  Perverted,  it 
produces  idolatry,  superstitious  reverence  for  authority, 
bigotry,  religious  intolerance,  etc. 

Large. — Experience  an  awe  of  God  and  things  sacred ; 
love  to  adore  the  Supreme  Being,  especially  in  His  works  ; 
feel  true  devotion,  fervent  piety,  and  love  of  divine 
things;  take  great  delight  in  religious  exercises;  have 
much  respect  for  superiority. 

Small. — Experience  little  devotion  or  respect,  and  are 
deficient  in  fervor ;  care  little  for  religious  observances, 
and  are  not  easily  impressed  with  the  worshiping  senti- 
ment. 

VlTATIVENESS. 

Qualities:  Tenacity  of  life;  resistance  of  death;  love 
of  existence;  dread  of  annihilation;  love  of  life,  and 
clinging  tenaciously  to  it  for  its  own  sake. 

Large. — Will  struggle  resolutely  through  fits  of  sick- 
ness, and  will  not  give  up  to  die  till  absolutely  compelled 
to  do  so. 

Small. — Like  to  live,  yet  care  very  little  about  existence 
for  their  own  sake. 

Weight. 

Qualities:  Intuitive  perception  and  application  of  the 
laws  of  gravity,  motion,  etc    Adapted  to  man's  requisi- 

xxxiv 


tion  for  keeping  his  balance.  Perverted,  it  runs  im- 
minent risks  of  falling  by  venturing  too  far. 

Large. — Have  an  excellent  faculty  for  preserving  and 
regaining  balance,  riding  a  fractious  horse,  skating,  carry- 
ing a  steady  hand,  etc. ;  easily  keep  from  falling  when 
aloft,  or  in  dangerous  places ;  are  pained  at  seeing  things 
out  of  plumb;  judge  of  perpendiculars  very  exactly,  and 
can  safely  walk  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  etc. 

Small. — Are  quite  liable  to  sea-sickness,  dizziness  when 
aloft,  etc. ;  never  feel  safe  whik  climbing,  and  fall  easily. 


XXXV 


EFFICIENCY. 

1.  Having  the  required  knowledge  or  skill. 

2.  The  power  of  ,.roducing  results. 

3.  Keeping  ever)-  tingly  at  it — the  only  sure   road  ^o 

success. 

OPPORTUNITY. 

The  man  who  will  work  for  the  satisfaction  of  work  well 
done — for  the  joy  of  achievement — for  him  there  are 
large  opportunities. 

FAITH 

In  order  to  be  successful,  a  man  must  have  faith  in  his 
ability  to  do  what  he  undertakes,  and  in  the  thing  to  be 
accomplished. 


THE  NEW  SALESMANSHIP 

PREPARATORY 


Personality  in  salesmanship  is  that  force  of  mind  which 
inspires  belief. — 

Salesmanship  is  the  science  and  art  of  influencing  the 
mind  through  the  five  senses.  The  number  of  senses  that 
can  be  played  upon  depends  on  the  line  or  article  to  be 
sold. 

A  wine  merchant  or  salesman  can  play  upon  all  five 
senses.  The  sense  of  Sight  is  played  upon  by  the  mer- 
chant's or  salesman's  manner,  expression,  gestures,  and 
the  color  of  the  wine.  The  sense  of  Smell  by  the  bouquet 
and  flavor  of  the  wine.  The  sense  of  Taste  by  the  sweet 
or  sour  taste  of  the  wine.  The  sense  of  Feeling  by  the 
generous  warmth  imparted  by  the  wine  to  the  Feeling. 
The  sense  of  Hearing  by  the  salesman's  voice  and  argu- 
ment. 

The  dry  goods  salesman  can  only  play  upon  three  of 
the  senses.  The  Sight  by  himself  and  his  samples.  The 
Feeling  or  Touch  by  letting  the  buyer  handle  his  samples, 
and  Hearing  by  his  voice  and  argument.  The  salesman 
selling  from  a  cataloo-ue.  or  who  is  selling  anything  of 
which  no  sample  is  shown,  can  only  play  upon  Sight  and 
Hearing,  but  to  the  expert  this  is  enough. 

—5— 


Operating  upon  the  sense  of  Hearing  is  by  far  the 
most  important,  for  through  the  Hearing  a  salesman  can 
persuade  the  mind  that  the  other  senses  are  mistaken  in 
their  perceptions,  or  that  the  consensus  of  opinion  favors 
the  direct  opposite  of  what  the  mind  conceives. 

The  style  of  argument  and  the  kind  of  reasoning  to  be 
used  must  be  determined  by  the  proposition  the  salesman 
is  selling,  and  by  the  character  of  the  buyer.  This  will 
be  shown  when  the  different  types  of  buyers,  and  the 
building  of  the  sales  argument  is  taken  up.  Continuing 
with  the  Hearing  we  still  have  the  voice,  and  the  pitch 
and  tone  of  the  voice  used  is  often  half  the  battle. 

The  voice  can  be  trained  to  become  so  strong  and 
forceful  that  its  very  force  carries  conviction  to  the  mind 
of  the  hearer. 

It  can  be  trained  to  become  so  even,  and  matter-of-fact, 
that  its  very  tone  suggests  truth,  and  the  mind  of  the 
hearer  unconsciously  adopts  the  suggestion  that  the 
proposition  is  entirely  as  represented. 

The  voice  can  be  trained  to  become  so  subtly  soft  and 
low  that  it  deadens  the  resistance  of  the  brain  like  a  sooth- 
ing narcotic. 

I  will  give  illustrations  of  the  dififerent  voices,  taken 
from  my  own  experience,  but  it  is  first  necessary  to  ex- 
plain to  the  reader  what  the  mind  is  and  part  of  its  work- 
ings. 

The  three  regions  of  mind  are  Emotion,  Intellect  and 
Volition. 

Emotion  is  any  agitation  of  mind,  or  excitement  of 
sensibility.     It  is  what  is  commonly  called  the  feelings. 

—6— 


Intellect  is  that  region  of  the  mind  that  receives  and  com- 
prehends the  ideas  communicated  to  it  by  the  senses. 
It  is  the  region  of  the  mind  that  understands  and  thinks. 

Volition  is  the  Will. 

The  emotions  are  the  natural  impulses  of  the  mind. 
The  intellect  acts  as  a  guard  upon  the  emotions.  If  the 
salesman  wishes  to  play  upon  the  emotions  he  must  first 
penetrate  the  intellect. 

Any  experienced  buyer  knows  that  to  allow  the  emo- 
tion of  interest  to  become  intense  soon  leads  to  the 
emotion  of  desire,  which  unduly  influences  his  judgment, 
and  he  guards  against  it  as  much  as  possible.  A  sale  may 
be  made  by  dealing  with  the  intellect  and  will  only,  or  it 
may  be  made  by  dealing  with  the  intellect,  emotion,  and 
will. 

When  the  intellect  and  will  have  been  dealt  with  the 
different  stages  that  the  mind  passes  through  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  sale  are  these :  Attention,  sustained 
attention,  approbation  of  judgment,  consent  of  the  will. 

When  emotion  has  been  dealt  with  the  stages  are  these : 
Attention,  interest,  desire,  approbation  of  judgment,  or 
disapprobation  of  judgment  yielding  to  desire,  consent 
of  the  will. 

Attention  is  of  two  kinds — Spontaneous,  or  natural, 
which  arises  from  the  emotions ;  and  Voluntary,  or  arti- 
ficial, which  requires  an  effort  of  the  will.  The  difference 
between  sustained  attention  and  interest  is  that  sustained 
attention  must  be  intensified  to  become  interest,  which 
is  an  emotion. 

Desire  is  an  emotion  and  has  no  place  in  the  sale  made 


through  the  intellect  only,  for  the  buyer  that  is  ruled  by 
the  intellect  says  to  himself,  "I  can  use  it,"  while  the 
buyer  that  lets  emotion  rule  him  says  to  himself,  "I 
want  it." 

To  illustrate:  The  salesman,  by  a  proper  approach,  has 
gained  the  attention  of  the  buyer  ruled  by  intellect.  By 
his  argument,  and  the  proper  pitch  of  voice  and  tone, 
he  sustains  attention.  By  the  sound  logic  of  his  reason- 
ing he  convinces  the  buyer  and  gains  approbation  of 
judgment.  This  is  where  the  buyer  says,  *T  can  use  it," 
and  if  there  has  been  no  antagonizing  influence  consent 
of  the  will  is  voluntary. 

But  in  the  case  of  the  buyer  ruled  by  emotion  the  proc- 
ess of  mind  is  different.  Th^  salesman,  after  gaining  the 
buyer's  attention,  sees  that  he  has  an  emotional  character 
to  deal  with,  proceeds  to  intensify  attention  into  interest, 
turns  interest  into  desire,  and  if  approbation  of  judgment 
is  gained,  consent  of  the  will  is  spontaneous.  But  if 
disapprobation  of  judgment  follows  desire  (too  expensive, 
etc.)  the  salesman  again  plays  upon  desire  so  strongly 
that  disapprobation  of  judgment  yields  to  desire  and  con- 
sent of  the  w\\\  is  voluntary. 

Where  disapprobation  of  judgment  occurs  in  the  trans- 
action with  the  buyer  ruled  by  intellect  the  salesman  must 
effect  the  sale  by  convincing  the  buyer  that  he  has  made 
an  error  of  judgment. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  salesman 
should  be  able  to  discriminate  between  the  two  kinds  of 
buyers,  for  if  he  makes  a  persistent  attempt  to  play  upon 
the  emotions  of  the  buyer  ruled  by  intellect,  this  buyer 


is  likely  to  abruptly  close  the  interview  and  refuse  to 
entertain  the  proposition  any  longer.  In  the  case  of  the 
buyer  ruled  by  emotion,  if  the  salesman  does  not  under- 
stand his  man,  his  mode  of  operation  is  often  times  too 
mild  and  no  impression  is  made,  or  too  strong  at  the 
start  and  he  never  gets  beyond  attention. 

Where  intellect  holds  sway,  but  the  emotions  can  be 
reached,  the  salesman  deals  with  intellect  until  he  can  slip 
in  his  opening  wedge  and  then  plays  upon  emotion. 

How  the  buyer  is  read,  how  he  is  handled,  the  styles 
of  argument  to  be  used,  and  the  voice  to  employ  will  all 
be  taken  up  in  their  proper  place  and  treated  of  thor- 
oughly. 

Now  that  the  reader  knows  what  mind  is  and  part  of 
its  workings,  I  will  proceed  with  the  sense  of  Hearing  and 
show  the  effect  of  the  voice  on  the  mind  by  illustration. 
One  time  in  the  month  of  January  I  was  out  selling  goods 
for  March  delivery.  I  called  upon  a  merchant  who 
agreed  to  look  over  my  goods.  As  we  went  over  the 
line  the  numbers  that  the  merchant  liked  were  laid  aside 
but  not  purchased. 

Before  we  had  proceeded  very  far  I  knew  my  man,  for 
his  free  manner  of  selection,  and  his  favorable  comments 
on  the  goods  were  in  direct  opposition  to  his  character. 
The  end  I  foresaw  would  be  a  put-off. 

After  vv^e  had  gone  through  the  line  the  merchant 
pulled  a  pencil  and  mem.orandum  book  from  his  pocket 
and  said,  "I  will  take  down  the  numbers  I  have  selected 
and  order  later." 

This  I  was  prepared  for,  and  augmenting  an  anger 

—9— 


that  I  felt  in  some  degree  into  a  very  torrent  of  passion, 
I  pushed  the  goods  aside  and  turned  abruptly  upon  the 
merchant  with  every  fibre  of  my  body  quivering  with  in- 
tensity, and  in  a  voice  fairly  ringing  with  passion  I 
shouted,  "No,  sir!  You  cannot  have  those  numbers. 
That  is  not  the  way  I  do  business,  for  I  cannot  keep  my 
employer's  factory  running  by  giving  out  numbers.  You 
are  merchant  enough  to  know  your  own  mind — your 
every  appearance  indicates  it.  You  know  that  my  goods 
are  right,  and  that  my  prices  are  right — you  have  volun- 
tarily said  so  several  times." 

I  got  no  farther.  The  merchant  started  for  the  samples 
and  I  saw  that  I  had  conquered ;  but  pretending  I  thought 
that  he  still  wanted  the  numbers,  I  pushed  him  back  in 
order  to  increase  his  desire,  and  make  him  fight  for  what 
he  did  not  want  before. 

"What's  the  matter — what's  the  matter?  I'll  buy  'em — 
I'll  buy  'em !"  he  cried. 

"Very  well,"  I  replied,  and  proceeded  to  take  his  order. 
And  I  v/ill  add  that  I  took  many  more  orders  from  him 
after  that. 

The  reason  I  used  such  a  strong  voice  was  that  I  saw 
the  buyer  was  endowed  with  large  cautiousness.  The 
fact  that  he  had  gone  over  my  line  praising  it  as  we  went 
along,  and  then  wanted  to  put  me  off,  confirmed  this.  I 
also  saw  that  the  faculties  that  would  resent  such  a  voice 
were  innocuous.  Over-cautiousness  is  always  attended 
by  hesitation  and  indecision,  and  when  played  upon  by 
fear  the  mind  is  instantly  thrown  into  a  panic,  when 
unrestrained  by  the  other  faculties,  and  immediately  mani- 

—10— 


fests  itself  by  a  desire  to  propitiate.  I  therefore  operated 
with  the  idea  that  he  would  not  get  my  goods  unless  he 
purchased  them  at  once,  first  sensitizing  his  mind  by 
throwing  it  into  surprise,  by  my  manner,  expression,  ges- 
tures, and  voice,  so  that  the  idea  would  sink  deeply,  and 
have  its  full  effect.  The  end  justified  my  course  of  pro- 
cedure. The  reader  will  also  see  a  little  flattery  in  my 
argument  to  the  buyer,  which,  when  delivered  in  the  voice 
and  manner  I  used  is  always  effective  when  the  emotions 
have  been  touched. 

By  explaining  at  this  stage  why  I  used  this  voice  and 
manner  is  encroaching  upon  another  part  of  the  work, 
but  it  is  necessary,  for  some  readers  may  think  that  I 
risked  a  punch  on  the  eye,  which  no  verbal  argument 
would  have  overcome. 

The  next  illustration  will  be  of  the  even  and  matter-of- 
fact  voice. 

At  one  time  I  was  engaged  in  marketing  an  expanding 
syringe.  The  instrument  was  scientific  in  its  construc- 
tion, simple  in  its  workings,  and  artistic  in  appearance, 
but  rather  suggestive. 

After  handling  the  instrument  a  time  I  conceived  the 
idea  of  putting  it  on  demonstration  and  suggested  this  to 
the  inventor  and  owner,  who  met  the  idea  with  enthu- 
siasm, 

I  presented  my  proposition  to  the  buyer  for  one  of  the 
largest  department  stores  in  Chicago,  who,  after  consid- 
ering it,  was  impressed  and  requested  me  to  see  the  mer- 
chandise manager,  whose  consent  must  first  be  gained. 

—11— 


Going  to  the  merchandise  manager's  office  I  went  over 
the  proposition  with  him,  first  telling  him  that  I  had 
already  gone  over  it  with  the  buyer,  who  thought  very 
favorably  of  it. 

I  then  explained  and  demonstrated  the  instrument  thor- 
oughly and  when  through  handed  it  to  him  for  a  closer 
inspection.  After  handling,  working,  and  considering 
the  instrument  for  a  few  minutes  he  turned  to  me  and 
said,  "It's  a  rather  suggestive  thing  to  demonstrate,  isn't 
it?"  This  I  was  prepared  for  and  replied  in  a  most  even 
and  matter-of-fact  voice,  "No;  a  thing  is  only  as  you 
assume  it  to  be.  If  there  is  that  in  the  demonstrator's 
manner  or  voice  that  implies  that  it  is  suggestive  it  is 
accepted  as  such ;  otherwise  it  is  accepted  in  the  spirit 
intended.  On  that  score  you  need  have  no  fear,  for 
we  will  furnish  a  very  clever  lady  demonstrator,  who  not 
only  knows  the  instrument  thoroughly,  but  who  knows 
human  nature  as  well,  and  who,  by  her  tact  and  skill 
in  handling  the  women  with  whom  she  comes  in  contact, 
will  make  a  large  number  of  sales  and  lay  the  foundation 
for  a  future  money-maker  for  the  department.  When 
you  consider  the  instrument  from  a  hygienic  standpoint 
you  will  see  that  it  is  really  a  necessity  and  should  be  in 
every  home.  False  modesty  should  not  be  allowed  to 
stand  in  its  way." 

He  thought  a  few  moments,  then  finally  said,  "Well, 
I  think  it  will  be  all  right.  You  can  tell  Mr.  Blank  that  I 
say  he  can  go  ahead." 

And  so  permission  for  the  demonstration  was  secured. 
But  had  there  been  any  excitement  or  tmdue  emphasis  in 

—12— 


my  voice  the  battle  would  have  been  lost,  for  he  was  a 
man  who  thinks — not  feels. 

Next  we  have  the  low  voice. 

One  day  I  entered  the  sample  room  of  the  house  where 
I  was  employed  as  a  salesman  and  found  one  of  the 
proprietors  engaged  in  an  attempt  to  sell  one  of  my 
customers  some  goods. 

I  shook  hands  with  the  customer,  and  after  a  few  pleas- 
ant words,  drew  back  a  little,  signifying  that  I  did  not 
wish  to  interfere. 

They  started  again  from  where  they  had  left  ofif  and 
were  soon  in  a  hammer  and  tongs  argument,  the  pro- 
prietor affirming  that  the  goods  and  prices  were  right, 
and  the  customer  denying  it.  I  let  them  go  on  until 
they  were  worked  up  to  a  white  heat  of  excitement,  then 
I  took  a  hand.  Leaning  slowly  but  deliberately  between 
them  I  picked  up  one  of  the  samples  and  laid  it  before 
the  customer.  Keeping  my  eyes  fixed  intently  upon  the 
sample,  I  stroked  it  a  few  times  in  a  caressing  manner 
and  said  in  a  low,  soothing  voice,  "John,  there  is  a  num- 
ber that  you  should  not  pass  up." 

One  who  does  not  understand  the  mind  and  its  work- 
ings cannot  imagine  the  effect  my  action  produced.  The 
proprietor's  jaw  dropped,  and  he  sat  staring  at  me  in 
open-mouthed  amazement,  his  eyes  nearly  popping  from 
his  head. 

The  buyer  gave  one  uneasy  movement  in  his  chair, 
then  sat  perfectly  still  with  his  eyes  riveted  on  the  sample 
in  a  fascinated  gaze. 

My  unexpected  interference,  and  the  sudden  transition 

—13— 


from  a  loud  and  antagonizing  voice  to  one  that  was  softly 
low  and  soothing,  so  shocked  his  mind  with  surprise  that 
he  was  utterly  incapable  of  thought.  His  mind  was  so 
highly  sensitized  that  my  suggestion  sank  into  his  brain 
like  a  ten-penny  nail  hit  by  a  pile-driver. 

Continuing  in  the  same  voice  I  said,  "From  what  I 
know  of  your  trade  I  am  sure  that  it  will  be  one  of  your 
best  selling  numbers  of  the  season.  We  will  lay  it  aside, 
shall  we?" 

The  buyer  nodded.  He  was  still  incapable  of  speech. 
And  so  I  went  on,  in  the  same  voice,  selecting  such  num- 
bers that  I  knew  he  could  use,  and  suggesting  that  he 
should  take  them,  and  meeting  with  his  acquiescence  each 
time  until  the  order  was  booked. 

In  justice  to  myself  I  must  say  that  I  did  not  overload 
the  buyer. 

The  reader  will  •  be  surprised  to  learn  that  the  art 
practiced  upon  this  man  was  hypnotism,  although  I  did 
not  know  it  at  the  time. 

Many  may  say  that  it  was  unscrupulous  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  buyer  when  I  saw  that  he  was  influenced, 
but  in  justification  I  will  say  that  there  is  not  an  honest 
business  man  today  that  can  deny  that  he  has  at  some 
time  or  other  lowered  his  voice  when  in  the  heat  of  an 
argument  and  he  saw  that  the  battle  was  going  against 
him.     His  object  was  to  influence  the  other  man. 

So  was  mine,  only  that  my  method  of  operation  was 
stronger.  And  in  further  justification  I  will  ask,  "What 
is  value?"  Many  of  our  richest  men  could  answer, 
"Value  is  the  least  you  can  give  for  the  most  you  can 

^14— 


get."  I  will  simply  say  that  value  is  a  matter  of  opinion. 
And  it  is  the  business  of  the  salesman  to  influence  opinion. 
That  is  what  he  is  paid  for. 

The  prices  of  goods  are  marked  according  to  what  is 
paid  for  them,  and  according  to  what  they  will  bring. 

I  am  not  digressing,  but  have  simply  led  up  to  the 
subject  of  hypnotism  for  the  purpose  of  showing  that  it 
is  necessary  to  know  what  it  is  when  dealing  with  the 
five  senses. 

We  all  know  of  the  young  salesman  who  starts  out 
on  his  first  trip  and  makes  a  wonderful  success,  but  when 
he  makes  his  next  trip  falls  down  most  miserably.  This 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  had  so  influenced  his  buyers 
by  the  intensity  of  his  faith,  that  was  founded  on  ignor- 
ance, and  by  his  unbounded  enthusiasm,  that  the  buyers 
heard,  saw,  and  felt  only  as  the  salesman  did.  The  sales- 
man, not  knowing  that  he  had  the  buyer  so  strongly  in- 
fluenced, naturally  wished  to  sell  as  much  goods  as  he 
could  and  suggested  that  the  buyer  should  purchase  every- 
thing that  the  salesman  liked.  The  result  was  that  the 
buyer  was  overloaded,  the  salesman's  chances  for  future 
business  killed,  and  a  customer  lost  to  the  house  that  the 
salesman  represented. 

I  will  now  tell  you  what  hypnotism  is  so  that  you  can 
guard  against  this. 

Hypnotism  is  nothing  more  than  the  power  of  an  idea, 
whether  it  is  caused  by  the  operator  holding  up  a  small 
or  glittering  object  and  telling  the  subject  to  concentrate 
all  his  attention  upon  the  object  and  think  of  nothing  but 
sleep;  whether  it  is  caused  by  the  operator  looking  his 

—15— 


subject  in  the  eyes  and  making  passes  with  his  hands,  or 
whether  the  mind  is  subjected  to  positive  sense  delusions 
while  in  a  waking  state.  That  is  the  mind  thinks  it  sees 
something,  but  is  mistaken  in  its  perceptions.  When  the 
operator  makes  passes  with  his  hands  in  putting  the  sub- 
ject to  sleep  the  passes  are  auxiliary  only  in  this  way — 
they  suggest  to  the  subject  that  the  operator  is  throwing 
a  hypnotic  or  magnetizing  fluid  into  his  mind  that  will 
force  him  to  succumb.  If  the  subject  attempts  to  stem  the 
force  of  the  idea  by  exercising  his  will  he  only  succumbs 
the  more  readily,  for  it  increases  his  self-attention  and 
he  realizes  his  impotence,  which  immediately  demoralizes 
his  power  of  resistance  and  he  succumbs  accordingly.  It 
is  not  a  matter  of  will  with  the  subject,  it  is  a  matter  of 
knowledge.  In  order  to  keep  from  being  hypnotized 
he  must  keep  his  mind  off  the  idea. 

With  the  operator  it  is  a  matter  of  will  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  workings  of  the  mind  when  influenced  by  sugges- 
tion, or  in  its  true  sense,  by  the  power  of  an  idea.  Hyp- 
notization  is  produced  by  strong  and  sudden  excitement 
of  the  senses,  by  fixing  the  attention  upon  an  idea  or  ob- 
ject, by  limiting  the  involuntary  movements  of  the  sub- 
ject so  as  to  keep  his  blood  quiet,  and  by  limiting  the 
field  of  consciousness  so  that  only  one  sense  is  in  action 
and  the  others  are  all  unconscious.  They  all  tend  to  pro- 
duce inhibition  which  will  be  taken  up  in  the  next  chapter. 

I  will  now  illustrate  how  the  senses  are  deluded.  We 
will  suppose  that  an  ignorant  or  rascally  salesman  is 
selling  cloth  made  of  cotton,  but  which  resembles  wool. 
The  salesman  approaches  a  merchant,  who  gives  him  at- 

—16— 


tention.  The  salesman  commences  his  selHng  talk  to  the 
effect  that  his  goods  are  wool,  avoids  antagonism  and 
keeps  the  blood  of  the  merchant  quiet.  The  merchant  has 
a  belief  that- the  goods  are  cotton,  but  continues  to  listen 
to  the  salesman  who  talks  so  positively  and  convincingly 
that  the  buyer's  senses  of  Sight  and  Touch  succumb  to 
the  sense  of  Hearing,  and  he  believes  that  the  goods  aie 
wool.    He  is  then  under  the  influence  of  a  sense  delusion. 

Then  again  we  have  the  other  side  of  the  case.  A 
buyer's  Hearing  may  be  defective.  His  sense  of  Sight 
may  be  impaired.  He  may  be  afflicted  with  color  blind- 
ness, or  he  may  not  observe  closely.  His  senses  of  Taste 
and  Smell  may  be  impaired  so  that  he  cannot  distinguish 
differences  in  odors  or  tastes,  and  his  sense  of  Touch  may 
have  become  blunted  so  that  he  cannot  detect  slight  dif- 
ferences of  feeling. 

When  such  is  the  case  and  a  buyer  forms  a  wrong 
opinion  of  a  thing  he  is  then  deluded  by  his  senses,  and 
a  salesman  suffers  accordingly  unless  he  reverses  the 
opinion  by  inhibition. 

More  will  be  said  of  the  senses  farther  on,  but  we  will 
first  see  how  the  blood  is  controlled. 


— lY-^ 


THE  PHYSIOLOGICAL  EFFECT  OF    IHE 
POWER  OF  AN  IDEA. 

We  have  now  seen  that  the  Emotion,  Intellect,  and  Will 
are  influenced  through  the  five  senses  by  the  powers 
of  an  idea. 

But  the  power  of  the  idea  may  be  affected  by  the  state 
of  mind  or  mood  that  the  buyer  is  in. 

The  skillful  salesman  knows  this,  and  he  therefore 
prepares,  or  sensitizes  the  mind  for  the  proper  reception  of 
the  idea. 

This  he  does  by  playing  upon  the  nervous  system  and 
the  heart  beat,  or  circulation  of  the  blood,  which  is  gov- 
erned by  the  nervous  system.  That  is  he  uses  an  idea 
that  will  create  an  emotion,  or  thought,  and  change  the 
trend  of  existing  thought. 

The  quantity  of  blood  that  is  circulating  in  the  brain, 
which  is  the  organ  of  mind,  determines  its  capability  or 
capacity  of  receiving  or  comprehending  an  idea.  A 
brain  that  has  been  stirred  to  rage  fills  with  blood  and 
restrains  heart  action :  it  is  almost  impossible  to  reason 
with  it  imtil  the  blood  has  subsided. 

But  when  the  brain  has  been  acted  upon  by  strong  sur- 
prise tee  effect  is  just  the  opposite — the  blood  leaves  the 

—IS— 


brain,  the  existing  ideas  vanish,  and  the  mind  being 
practically  blank  is  open  to  another  idea,  which  on  this 
account  impresses  itself  on  the  mind  with  powerful  force. 
When  the  mind  is  practically  blank  it  is  highly  sensitized. 
We  therefore  see  that  there  are  emotions  which  augment 
or  accelerate  the  action  of  the  heart,  and  consequently 
increases  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  also  emotions 
that  check  or  inhibit  the  action  of  the  heart,  which  de- 
creases or  stops  the  circulation. 

Following  is  a  classification  of  the  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings that  accelerate  or  inhibit  the  action  of  the  heart, 
acting  either  mildly  or  strongly. 


Accelerating. 

All  of  the  following  quicken  the  action  of  the  heart 

Rage. 

Disdain. 

Love. 

Anger. 

Contempt. 

Tender  Feeling, 

Determination. 

Disgust. 

Devotion. 

Indignation. 

Avarice. 

Ambition. 

Obstinacy. 

Pride. 

Flattery. 

Ill-Temper. 

Vanity. 

Shame. 

Affirmation. 

Interest. 

Admiration. 

Negation. 

Desire. 

Rapture. 

Sneering. 

Joy. 

Passion. 

Defiance. 

High  Spirits. 

Rapid  Thought. 

Sympathy  is  both  accelerating  and  restraining. 
Excitement  is  accelerating,  but  when  opposed  to 
excitement  it  restrains  or  checks. 


-19— 


Inhibiting. 

All  the  following  check  the  action  of  the  heart : 

Surprise.  Astonishment.  Wonder. 

Arrested  Attention.  Impotence.  Moroseness. 

Fear.  Anxiety.  Reflection. 

Horror.  Grief.  Meditation. 

Patience.  Dejection.  Propitiation. 

Guilt.  Low  Spirits.  Sulkiness. 

The  following  will  illustrate  how  the  ideas  work: 
We  will  suppose  that  a  salesman  has  said  something 
that  causes  the  buyer  to  become  angry.  The  ideas  ex- 
pressed by  the  salesman  enter  the  buyer's  ears  and  are 
carried  by  their  nerves  to  the  brain.  They  cause  thoughts, 
and  the  impressions  are  perceived  by  the  spinal  cord, 
which  passes  the  impression  on  to  the  sympathetic  nerv- 
ous system.  The  impression  causes  the  nerves  to  become 
limp  and  their  control  over  the  blood  vessels  is  gone ;  the 
blood  gathers  in  the  vessels  and  rushes  to  the  brain.  Now 
this  condition  can  be  sustained  by  repeated  stimulation; 
that  is,  the  salesman  continues  to  anger  the  buyer.  By 
repeated  stimulation  of  the  accelerating  nerves  a  fairly 
vigorous  heart,  especially  one  without  much  blood,  may 
be  reduced  to  a  very  feeble  condition ;  that  is,  the  action 
of  the  heart  becomes  exhausted  and  is  no  longer  capable 
of  pumping  the  blood  to  the  brain.  This  condition  is 
known  among  salesmen  as  tiring  out  a  buyer,  but  is  the 
worst  way  of  selling  goods  that  there  is  for  the  buyer 

r-20— 


knows  that  he  has  been  forced  into  buying,  and  will 
avoid  the  salesman  thereafter.  The  proper  way  to  handle 
anger  is  to  use  an  inhibiting  idea.  This  idea  affects  the 
Vagus  nerves  and  these  nerves  put  a  brake  on  the  heart, 
and  the  blood  flows  back  to  the  heart  again. 

If  the  inhibiting  idea  is  Propitiation  the  brake  is  ap- 
plied gently  and  the  blood  gradually  subsides.  But  if 
the  inhibiting  idea  is  sudden  and  strong  Surprise  the  effect 
is  instantaneous.  The  brake  is  applied  so  strongly  that 
the  blood  rushes  from  the  brain  back  to  the  heart. 

If  a  salesman  has  used  a  low  voice  when  presenting  the 
inhibiting  idea  he  can  sustain  the  inhibition  by  quickly 
following  up  the  idea  with  the  other  strong  ideas  in  the 
same  low  voice.    This  is  called  rhythmical  stimulation. 

But  if  the  salesman  has  used  a  strong  voice  he  must 
follow  up  his  idea  with  other  ideas  in  the  same  strong 
voice  until  he  sees  that  the  buyer  is  yielding. 

Anger,  however,  should  be  avoided. 

The  proper  way  to  control  the  blood  when  making  a 
sale  is  this:  create  attention,  which  is  a  slight  inhibition, 
by  stating  something  that  will  cause  a  slight  surprise  or 
wonder,  or  state  something  that  will  cause  reflection. 
This  will  produce  a  mild  inhibition.  The  next  statement 
you  make  should  be  interesting  and  suggestive.  This 
will  release  the  inhibition,  and  the  action  of  the  heart  is 
accelerated.  Interest  is  then  established  and  the  blood 
is  aroused  in  the  salesman's  favor. 

When  interest  is  aroused  it  is  only  necessary  to  keep 
the  blood  going  in  the  salesman's  direction  by  properly 

—21— 


guiding  the  mind.  How  this  is  done  will  be  shown  when 
the  building  of  the  sales  argument  is  taken  up.  Remem- 
ber this :  that  the  more  vigorous  the  action  of  the  heart, 
the  more  rapidly  it  is  beating,  the  easier  it  is  to  bring 
about  inhibition. 

The  more  slo^yly  or  weakly  the  heart  is  beating,  the 
more  readily  it  responds  to  acceleration.  Either  condi- 
tion" can  be  sustained  by  rhythmical  stimulation,  but 
when  the  stimulation  ceases  the  action  of  the  heart  is 
reversed. 

The  professional  hypnotist  uses  inhibition  to  put  his 
subject  to  sleep.  The  fool  salesman  uses  inhibition  to 
overload  his  buyer,  for  the  blood  is  kept  away  from  his 
brain  and  he  is  unable  to  protect  himself.  The  true  sales- 
man uses  inhibition  simply  to  create  attention. 

Inhibition  and  acceleration  are  used  by  every  salesman 
in  the  world.  Those  who  do  not  know  how  the  blood  is 
controlled  use  them  unknowingly.  Those  who  do  know 
how  the  blood  is  controlled  use  them  scientifically. 

When  determining  the  kind  of  idea  to  be  used  the  sales- 
man is  guided  by  the  state  of  mind  or  mood  that  the 
buyer  is  in,  and  by  his  knowledge  of  the  faculties  of  the 
brain,  their  peculiarities  and  workings.  The  location  of 
these  faculties  is  shown  in  the  chart  at  the  front  of  the 
book ;  further  on  is  shown  how  the  different  faculties 
work  and  how  they  are  influenced,  and  in  the  Appendix 
the  faculties  are  analyzed  and  explained. 

The  expression  of  the  face  will  tell  a  salesman  whether 
a  buyer  is  emotional  or  intellectual.  The  expressions  most 
common  to  the  emotional  are  these: 

—22— 


Emotional. 

Mild — Sympathetic,  kind,  some  yielding. 
Medium — Equable,  but  not  deeply  so. 
Sensitive — Animated,     impulsive,     mobile,     excitable, 
irritable,  irascible. 

Blase — Surfeited,  worldly-wise. 

Intellectual. 

Where  the  intellect  strongly  predominates  it  is  char- 
acterized by  quiet  and  deliberate  thought,  speech,  and 
actions.  It  rarely  acts  on  impulse.  The  face  is  calm 
and  expressive  of  deep  thought. 

Where  an  intellectual  buyer  possesses  great  nervous 
energy  there  is  a  constant  conflict  between  emotion  and 
intellect  and  while  the  intellect  prevails  in  most  cases  it 
sometimes  yields  to  emotion.  The  expression  of  the  face 
is  strong,  determined,  and  marked  by  repression.  Do 
not  form  the  opinion  however  that  the  intellectual  is 
never  influenced  by  his  emotions,  for  he  often  is.  But 
the  ordinary  business  proposition  is  not  of  a  nature  that 
will  allow  the  employment  of  ideas  which  will  arouse  any- 
thing much  stronger  than  inclination  in  this  type. 

When  inclination  is  gained  it  is  only  necessary  to  prop- 
erly guide  the  mind  to  effect  the  sale.  This  will  be  shown 
in  the  building  of  the  sales  argument.  In  handling  the 
emotional,  the  mild  requires  a  low  voice,  mild  stimulation. 

The  medium  requires  an  even  matter-of-fact  voice  until 
his  equability  changes.     If  it  changes  in  your  direction 

—23— 


slightly  raise  your  voice  to  give  emphasis.  If  it  turns 
against  you  drop  your  voice  in  an  explaining  tone. 

The  sensitive  requires  either  low  or  strong  voice,  ac- 
cording to  conditions.  If  mild  stimulation  proves  inef- 
fectual suddenly  change  to  the  strong  and  continue  until 
they  yield,  then  gradually  drop  lower. 

The  blase  require  rather  strong  stimulation,  for  their 
nervous  susceptibility  has  become  somewhat  blunted.  The 
intellectual  requires  an  even,  matter-of-fact  voice,  slight 
emphasis  if  any. 

The  intellectual  of  strong  nervous  energy  requires  an 
even,  matter-of-fact  voice.  If  he  interrupts  let  him 
finish,  then  proceed  in  the  same  voice,  with  a  strong  argu- 
ment, raising  a  trifle  in  your  voice  as  you  go  along.  The 
degree  of  femininity  in  a  man  is  an  extremely  good  guide 
in  determining  his  nervous  susceptibility.  The  more 
femininity  in  a  man  the  greater  his  nervous  susceptibility. 

Individuals  possessing  fine  hair,  thin  skin  and  large, 
round,  wide-open  eyes  are  sensitive. 

We  will  now  consider  the  forty-two  faculties  of  the 
brain.  These  faculties  are  analyzed  and  explained  in  the 
Appendix.  When  the  salesman  has  studied  these  he  will 
possess  an  insight  into  human  nature  that  he  never 
deemed  possible.  The  senses  of  Siglit  and  Hearing  aft'ect 
all  of  the  faculties. 

The  sense  of  Touch  affects  all  of  the  faculties  except 
Color.  A  blind  man  has  the  use  of  all  of  his  faculties 
but  Color,  and  is  guided  by  his  sense  of  Touch.  You 
would  hardly  think  that  a  deaf  and  dumb  salesman  could 
sell  to  a  blind  man,  but  he  can  by  guiding  the  blind  man's 

—24— 


fing-ers  over  his  alphabet. .  The  senses  of  Taste  and  Smell 
primarily  affect  the  faculties  of  Alimentiveness,  Acquisi- 
tiveness, Cautiousness,  and  Combativcness. 

If  the  reader  will  remember,  it  was  stated  farther  back 
that  when  the  action  of  the  heart  is  strongly  inhibited  by 
surprise  the  blood  rushes  from  the  brain  back  to  the 
heart. 

But  all  of  the  blood  does  not  leave  the  vaso  moter  cen- 
ter of  the  brain,  for  then  unconsciousness  would  ensue, 
as  in  the  case  of  a  woman  who  faints  from  some  strong 
and  sudden  emotion.  Instead,  there  is  some  blood  re- 
tained in  the  brain  and  it  is  directed  to  the  faculty  or 
faculties  affected  by  the  idea  used  by  the  salesman. 

To  illustrate : 

I  enter  the  store  of  a  merchant  whom  I  have  never 
seen  before.  As  I  approach  the  merchant  his  faculty  of 
Human  Nature  or  Individuality  forms  an  opinion  of  me. 
The  opinion  is  rather  inclined  to  be  against  me  and  his 
faculty  of  combativcness  is  slightly  aroused.  I  see  this 
from  the  expression  of  his  face.  I  also  see  that  he  has 
rather  large  Cautiousness,  and  that  his  Combativeness  and 
Destructiveness  are  not  very  strong. 

When  introducing  myself  I  do  so  in  a  manner  intended 
to  propitiate  him.  But  he  is  not  to  be  propitiated,  so  I 
see  that  I  must  draw  the  blood  away  from  Combativeness 
by  surprise.  I  continue  however  to  be  propitiating  but 
am  gradually  working  up  a  passion,  which  I  hide.  At  last 
I  appear  to  see  that  he  is  most  unreasonable  and  suddenly 
straightening  up  my  body  with  a  sudden  jerk,  throwing 
the  intensity  of  my  feeling  into  my  expression  and  voice, 

—25— 


I  shout  at  him  strongly  and  positively  to  the  effect  that 
my  proposition  is  of  a  nature  to  demand  attention.  He 
gives  a  start,  and  his  e^es  open  wide  at  the  unexpected  at- 
tack. Cautiousness  is  aroused  and  is  given  the  blood 
necessary  for  it,  but  the  action  of  his  heart  is  inhibited 
and  the  blood  flies  from  Combativeness  and  his  other 
faculties  back  to  the  heart,  and  his  brain  is  sensitized.  I 
instantaneously  follow  up  my  attack  and  tell  why  my 
proposition  demands  attention  and  the  blood  is  directed 
to  Causality  and  Comparison.  I  waste  only  a  moment 
here,  but  direct  the  blood  to  the  faculties  that  my  propo- 
sition affects.  Say  that  they  are  Form,  Size,  Color, 
Weight,  and  Constructiveness.  I  dwell  on  each  faculty 
clearly  and  positively,  and  lead  from  one  to  the  other 
until  I  have  analyzed  my  proposition.  Never  by  a  word 
or  look  have  I  created  a  suggestion  that  will  divert  the 
course  of  his  blood  from  the  direction  I  am  guiding  it  in. 
When  through  with  the  details  of  my  proposition  I  direct 
the  blood  to  Acquisitiveness,  and  suggest  so  strongly  that 
the  merchant  should  have  my  proposition  that  when  I  am 
through  talking  the  first  words  he  utters  are,  "How  soon 
can  I  get  it?"  Making  a  sale  is  a  game  like  chess  or 
checkers.  Each  game  has  its  rules.  It  has  its  openings 
and  their  variations.  It  has  its  positions  where  a  skilled 
or  scientific  player  can  force  a  win.  It  has  its  endings 
which  result  in  a  win,  loss,  or  draw. 

A  scientific  player  who  has  resolved  to  win  and  not 
experiment  will  select  an  opening  in  which  he  is  thor- 
oughly versed,  and  any  move  that  his  opponent  makes 
he  is  prepared  for.    He  guides  the  game  into  the  strongest 

—26— 


variation  of  the  opening,  and  every  move  that  his  oppo- 
nent makes  can  only  be  a  defense,  for  the  variation  will 
allow  of  no  attack  from  his  side.  There  is  an  opening 
in  the  game  of  checkers  called  "The  Old  Fourteenth."  In 
this  opening  is  a  variation  that  leads  up  to  a  move  for  the 
black  side  that  looks  to  be  the  strongest  move  on  the 
board.  If  the  black  side  makes  this  move  its  game  is 
utterly  demoralized,  for  it  allows  white  to  play  what  is 
known  among  book  players  as  the  "big  shot,"  which  wins 
with  ease.  So  it  is  in  salesmanship.  A  salesman  can  lead 
up  to  a  point  where  he  causes  the  buyer  to  make  an  asser- 
tion that  he  is  prepared  to  overcome  most  convincingly, 
and  the  buyer's  game  is  lost.  A  salesman  is  like  a  player 
who  has  discovered  a  new  variation  and  is  showing  it  to 
another  player.  As  he  makes  each  move  he  explains  or 
analyzes  why  this  move  is  made.  He  has  so  thoroughly 
analyzed  the  variation  that  he  cannot  be  contradicted,  or 
if  he  is,  he  is  prepared  to  show  that  he  is  right.  When 
he  has  played  the  game  to  its  end  he  has  convinced  the 
other  player  that  the  variation  is  a  win.  And  so  it  is  in 
salesmanship ;  the  salesman  convinces  his  buyers  that 
what  he  is  selling  is  a  money-winner.  The  buyer's  brain 
is  the  board  upon  which  the  game  is  played.  The  facul- 
ties of  the  brain  are  the  men.  The  salesman  moves  or 
guides  the  blood  to  these  faculties  as  he  would  chess-men 
or  checkers  on  a  board.  It  all  lies  in  your  selling  argu- 
ment, and  you  v/ill  see  how  to  build  your  selling  argument 
farther  on.  We  now  see  that  in  dealing  with  a  buyer  we 
are  dealing  with  the  faculties  of  the  brain.  The  pre- 
dominance of  some  of  these  faculties  tends  to  produce 

—27— 


peculiarities  and  idiosyncrasies,  which  result  in  types  and 
characters.  In  this  chapter  it  has  been  the  purpose  to 
reduce  psychology  to  a  working  basis;  that  is,  reduce  it 
as  much  as  possible  to  material  form,  so  that  the  salesman 
will  cease  to  regard  mind  in  the  abstract  and  consider  it 
in  a  concrete  and  tangible  form  that  will  enable  him  to 
deliberately  plan  his  mode  of  attack  in  a  truly  scientific 
manner.  Farther  on  in  the  book  is  given  an  elaboration 
of  the  subject  discussed  in  this  chapter. 

Regarding  the  matter  treated  here,  as  well  as  in  fol- 
lowing chapters,  it  should  be  said  that  after  the  salesman 
has  digested  and  assimilated  the  ideas  set  forth  he  will 
seldom  have  to  recur  to  them  in  the  process  of  making 
a  sale,  for  they  will  have  become  a  part  of  himself,  and 
he  will  unconsciously,  or  instinctively,  use  them  at  the 
right  time.  Were  this  not  so,  the  book  would  be  of  little 
value  to  him,  for  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  think 
of  a  book  while  trying  to  make  a  sale. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  when  a  salesman  has  sized 
up  his  man  correctly  his  sale  is  practically  assured.  But 
this  is  only  partly  so,  for  while  the  salesman  may  know 
the  kind  of  man  he  is  dealing  with,  he  may  not  know  how 
to  handle  him.    This  will  all  be  explained  farther  on. 

These  types  and  characters,  and  the  way  to  handle 
them,  will  be  taken  up  later,  but  we  will  first  take  up  the 
twenty  weapons  of  attack  that  a  salesman  has  at  his 
command,  beginning  on  the  opposite  page. 


—28— 


THE  TWENTY  WEAPONS  OF  ATTACK. 


These  are  as  follows: 


Knowledge. 

Suggestion. 

Voice. 

Manner. 

Expression. 

Gestures. 

Excitement, 


Interest. 

Enthusiasm. 

Desire. 

Sympathy. 

Self-Attention. 

Persuasion. 

Propitiation. 


Inducing     Forget- 

fulness. 
Wonder. 
Surprise. 
Imitation. 
Fear. 
Persistence. 


Knowledge. 

This  weapon  gives  a  salesman  the  ability  to  size  up  a 
buyer  and  conditions.  It  gives  him  the  ability  to  handle  a 
buyer  by  knowing  the  mind  and  its  workings.  It  is  the 
result  of  Intuition,  Observation,  Study,  and  Memory.  It 
gives  self-control  because  it  knows  the  mind  and  its 
workings,  and  is  not  easily  diverted  or  surprised  from  its 
course.  It  gives  self-confidence  because  it  knows  itself 
and  its  ability,  and  its  superiority  over  untrained  minds. 
It  gives  practicalness  because  of  its  ability  to  size  up  men 
and  conditions. 

But  knowledge  must  be  systematized  so  that  it  is  ready 


—29— 


for  instant  use,  and  must  not  depend  upon  inspiration  for 
its  efficiency.    Then  knowledge  is  power. 

Suggestion. 

A  suggestion  is  any  idea,  image,  or  object,  in  fact  any- 
thing, that  presents  itself  to  the  mind  through  the  five 
senses  and  causes  thought,  emotion,  action,  or  all  three. 
An  auto-suggestion  is  an  idea  that  arises  within  the  mind 
itself  and  is  caused  by  a  recurrence  of  memory,  prompted 
by  suggestion.  Suggestion  is  a  simple  thing,  yet  so  ex- 
tremely subtle  that  none  can  tell  definitely  to  where  it  may 
lead.  A  suggestion  will  work  either  for  or  against  a 
salesman  when  he  uses  it,  and  it  requires  a  knowledge  of 
conditions  and  men  to  determine  how  to  use  a  suggestion. 
To  illustrate :  A  certain  article  in  the  line  that  a  sales- 
man is  handling  is  becoming  scarce  and  the  price  is  likely 
to  advance.  In  such  a  case  a  salesman  should  protect 
his  customers.  All  buyers  expect  this,  but  many  do  not 
appreciate  it  until  it  is  too  late. 

The  salesman  calls  upon  one  of  his  customers  who  is 
endowed  with  large  Firmness,  Self-Esteem,  and  Com- 
bativeness.  Upon  entering  the  store  the  salesman  sees 
that  the  customer  is  nearly  sold  out  of  the  article.  After 
a  little  preliminary  talk  with  the  customer  he  brings  up 
the  subject  and  says :  *T  see  that  you  are  nearly  sold  out 
of  (here  he  names  the  article).  I  am  glad  that  I  noticed 
it  for  the  stuff  is  selling  so  rapidly  that  it  is  becoming 
scarce.  I  received  a  letter  from  the  house  telling  me  not 
to  push  the  article,  and  to  confine  it  to  our  regular  cus- 
tomers, for  there  is  likely  to  be  an  advance  in  price.     If 

—30— 


3-ou  will  allow  me.  I  would  like  to  suggest  that  as  the 
article  is  a  seller  with  you  it  will  be  good  policy  to  double 
up  on  the  quantity  this  time,  or  if  you  think  you  can  use 
it,  take  even  more." 

Now  this  is  a  customer  who  cannot  be  driven,  but  has 
to  be  led.  The  suggestion  will  therefore  act  favorably  for 
the  salesman,  and  the  chances  are  that  the  customer  will 
order  at  least  double  the  quantity  of  his  original  order. 
But  if  a  customer  is  weak-kneed  and  timid  he  has  almost 
to  be  driven  to  do  things  that  are  for  his  own  good.  The 
suggestion  just  used  is  not  strong  enough  for  him.  It 
would  only  elicit  the  reply  that  the  same  quantity  he  had 
before  would  be  enough,  and  that  he  did  not  like  to  carry 
too  much  stock. 

You  leave  off  the  sugar  coating  on  his  pill  and  let  him 
taste  a  little  of  the  bitterness,  in  a  manner  something  like 
this :  'T  see  that  the  last  lot  of  (here  he  names  the  article) 
is  nearly  all  gone.  You  had  better  prepare  yourself,  for 
the  house  writes  me  that  the  stuff  is  getting  scarce  and 
that  the  price  is  likely  to  advance." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  asks  the  customer. 

"I  know  it.  Everybody  is  laying  in  as  much  as  they 
can  handle,  and  it  won't  be  long  before  the  market  will  be 
clear  of  it.    Then  you  can't  get  it  for  love  nor  money." 

"Well,  I  think  I  had  better  take  a  little  more  this  time," 
answers  the  customer. 

Every  word  and  every  act  uttered  or  committed  by  a 
salesman  has  a  favorable  or  unfavorable  effect  upon  a 
buyer's  mind,  and  unless  the  salesman  is  proceeding  sys- 
tematically and  with  judgment  he  is  very  apt  to  do  or  say 

—31— 


something  that  will  be  detrimental  to  him.  Suggestion 
lies  in  the  salesman's  conduct  as  well  as  in  the  selling 
argument. 

A  salesman  may  be  too  suave  and  oily,  and  may  grease 
liis  buyer  so  that  he  slips  through  his  fingers.  The  sug- 
gestion is  that  the  salesman  is  too  smooth.  A  salesman 
may  be  timid  and  his  manner  will  suggest  a  lack  of  merit 
in  his  goods,  or  he  would  have  more  self-confidence. 

Again,  the  salesman  may  be  too  aggressive,  and  the 
suggestion  may  be  that  it  is  aggressiveness  and  not  merit 
that  is  selling  an  article,  and  aggressiveness  in  many  cases 
will  suggest  combativeness  and  an  attack  upon  self- 
esteem. 

Again,  aggressiveness  may  suggest  merit  in  an  article 
or  proposition  because  of  tlie  extreme  confidence  sug- 
gested by  aggressiveness. 

It  is  merely  a  matter  of  knowing  the  type  of  buyer 
you  are  dealing  with,  which  will  soon  be  taken  up.  A 
mere  hint,  intimation,  or  insinuation,  suggests  influence, 
coercion,  or  maliciousness,  as  well  as  the  idea  it  embodies. 
They  must  be  well  veiled  when  used. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  suggestion — direct  and  indirect. 

Direct  suggestion  is  a  direct  statement,  or  act  of  reason- 
ing, presented  to  one  or  more  of  the  faculties  of  the  brain 
and  contains  an  obvious  meaning  or  truth. 

Indirect  suggestion  is  the  presentation  of  an  idea,  or 
ideas,  to  one  or  more  of  the  faculties  with  the  intention  of 
influencing  another  faculty  by  implication,  intimation, 
hint,  insinuation,  or  innuendo. 

Either  of  the  two  kinds  of  suggestion  will  cause  an 

—32— 


idea  or  chain  of  ideas  that  will  produce  an  act  of  the  will. 

As  you  go  along  through  the  book  you  will  find  many 
forms  of  suggestion,  especially  in  the  figures  of  speech. 
In  the  analysis  of  the  sales  argument  you  will  find  the 
secret  of  the  power  of  an  indirect  suggestion. 

Before  using  a  suggestion  ask  yourself  these  questions. 
Whjt  does  he  know  about  what  I  am  going  to  say,  or 
show  him?  How  will  it  affect  him,  or  how  will  he  feel 
about  it?     How  shall  I  present  my  ideas? 

When  using  suggestion  always  consider  how  it  will 
affect  the  faculties  of  Self-Esteem,  Approbativeness, 
Conscientiousness  and  Cautiousness.  If  you  do  not  at- 
tack any  of  these  three  faculties  you  will  not  arouse 
Combativeness,  and  with  Combativeness  cjuiet  there  wil! 
be  no  antagonism. 

The  Voice. 

The  three  winning  voices  are  the  strong  and  incisive, 
the  even  and  matter-of-fact,  and  the  mild  but  positive. 
They  all  suggest  confidence  and  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  proposition  in  hand.  This  confidence  is  contagious. 
The  tone  may  be  positive,  sincere,  ingratiating,  hintinrr, 
insinuating,  interrogative,  propitiating,  doubtful,  and  iii- 
difTerent.  The  last  three  should  only  be  used  in  pro- 
pitiatory circumstances. 

In  most  cases  the  voice  should  be  firmly  positive, 
whether  strong  or  mild.  But  all  depends  upon  the  type  of 
the  buyer.  On  the  voice  mostly  depends  the  ability  to 
inhibit  or  accelerate  the  action  of  the  heart,  and  its  conse- 
quent action  on  the  brain,  and  the  sustaining  or  moderat- 
ing of  the  effect  produced. 

—33— 


The   Manner. 

When  approaching  a  buyer  the  salesman's  manner  gen- 
erally determines  whether  he  will  receive  spontaneous 
or  voluntary  attention.  If  spontaneous  the  buyer  will  be 
in  sympathy  with  the  salesman.  If  voluntary  he  will  be 
rather  indifferent,  or  mildly  or  strongly  combative  toward 
the  salesman. 

When  combative  he  must  be  propitiated  or  surprised  in 
order  to  draw  his  attention  from  the  restraining  factor. 
Strong  combativeness  toward  a  salesman  is  often  an 
aid  to  him,  for  the  action  of  the  heart  is  accelerated  and 
is  easily  inhibited  by  surprise. 

When  using  strong  inhibition  a  sudden  straightening 
of  the  body  increases  the  effect. 

To  sustain  very  strong  inhibition  the  salesman's  entire 
body  should  tremble  and  shake  with  emotion.  When  you 
have  a  buyer  in  this  condition  plant  your  strongest  idea 
at  once  in  your  most  positive  manner  and  voice.  Do  not 
allow  yourself  to  relapse  into  a  quieter  manner  before 
planting  the  idea,  for  the  brake  on  the  heart  will  be  re- 
leased, the  blood  will  rush  to  the  brain,  and  your  idea  will 
meet  with  opposition. 

When  a  buyer  is  seated  a  slight  inclination  and  stillness 
of  the  body  is  best,  for  it  does  not  distract  attention. 

Expression. 

The  expression  must  always  change  with  the  voice  and 
the  thoughts  or  feelings  that  the  voice  expresses.  It 
should  express  a  language  as  eloquent  as  the  voice. 

—34— 


It  may  be  positive,  persuasive,  interrogative,  ingratiat- 
ing, conciliatory,  enthusiastic,  and  in  fact  it  may  display 
every  emotion  that  is  felt  by  man.  Be  careful  of  the  use 
of  the  interrogative  expression  for  it  suggests  to  some 
buyers  that  you  are  trying  to  read  their  mind,  and  they 
will  be  on  guard.  The  eyes  are  the  most  important  in 
creating  expression,  for  the  eyes  are  the  windows  of  the 
soul,  and  the  soul  speaks  a  language  that  all  can  read. 

Gestures. 

Gestures  suggest  and  express  feeling,  and  greatly  help 
to  enforce  an  argument  or  opinion.  They  must  be  suited 
to  the  subject  and  be  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  voice, 
manner,  and  expression.  Never  swing  your  arms  wildly 
outward,  for  it  suggests  that  you  are  talking  to  the  whole 
world,  and  scatters  attention.  Short,  sharp  jerks  of  the 
fore-arm  directly  in  front  of  the  body  concentrates  atten- 
tion and  adds  mtensity.  Some  salesmen  use  a  gentle, 
wavy  motion  of  the  hands  to  add  effect  to  a  pleasing  idea, 
but  personally  I  have  found  it  best  to  depend  upon  the 
strength  of  the  idea,  the  voice,  and  expression. 

Excitement. 

This  weapon  should  be  used  to  overcome  indifference 
and  lead  up  to  interest  and  enthusiasm ;  or  to  inhibit  ex- 
citement that  is  directed  against  you. 

If  you  have  noticed  you  will  remember  that  when  a 
person  has  become  excited  at  you,  and  you  become  excited 
in  turn,  his  excitement  will  calm  down  unless  he  is  of  a 
fighting  disposition.    Do  not  become  excited  with  such. 

—35— 


Sudden  excitement  directed  at  a  calm  mind  that  is  indif- 
ferent toward  you  is  a  farce.  Avoid  it.  Begin  gently  and 
work  up  by  degrees. 

Interest. 

When  a  buyer  has  become  interested  in  a  proposition 
he  has  given  the  salesman  a  hold  upon  him  that  cannot 
be  shaken  off,  if  the  salesman  keeps  his  blood  properly 
directed.     It  all  lies  in  the  selling  argument. 

Enthusiasm. 

This  is  a  great  weapon  of  suggestion,  for  enthusiasm  is 
contagious  after  the  action  of  the  heart  has  been  accel- 
erated. 

The  emotional  buyer  readily  responds  to  strong  enthu- 
siasm, but  the  intellectual  requires  suppressed  enthusiasm. 
Feigned  enthusiasm  deceives  no  one.  You  must  feel  it 
before  you  can  arouse  it  in  others. 

Desire. 

In  dealing  with  desire  a  salesman  is  dealing  with  two 
aversions  proper,,  and  two  desires  proper.  The  aversions 
act  against  the  salesman,  and  the  desires  for  him. 

The  first  aversion  is  where  a  buyer  has  an  impulse  to 
avoid  the  proposition  that  the  salesman  is  handling,  and 
which  forms  a  belief  that  the  proposition  will  not  prove 
successful,  and  will  cause  loss  instead  of  gain.  The  sec- 
ond aversion  is  where  a  buyer  wishes  to  retain  what  he 
has  and  does  not  wish  to  change  to  something  else.  The 
first  desire  is  where  a  buyer  longs  or  wishes  for  what  he 
has  not,  and  which  the  salesman  has. 

^36— 


The  second  desire  is  where  a  buyer  wishes  to  change 
from  what  he  has  for  something  better. 

The  first  desire  overcomes  the  first  aversion,  for  the 
salesman  has  his  argument  ready  to  prove  that  his  propo- 
sition is  successful,  and  will  create  profit,  not  loss.  He 
proves  and  demonstrates  this  so  thoroughly  that  he 
creates  a  longing  in  the  buyer's  mind  for  what  he  is 
selling. 

The  second  desire  overcomes  the  second  aversion,  for 
a  salesman  can  cause  a  buyer  to  become  dissatisfied  with 
what  he  has,  and  make  him  wish  to  change  to  something 
better.  This  the  salesman  does  by  showing  that  his  goods 
are  more  attractive,  are  of  a  better  quality,  or  of  superior 
workmanship,  and  will  show  greater  profits  through  in- 
creased sales  or  lower  price. 

The  power  to  create  desire  lies  in  the  proper  presenta- 
tion of  the  selling  points. 

All  lines  have  some  excuse  for  their  existence ;  they  are 
based  upon  an  idea.  But  some  lines  are  poor  excuses ; 
they  are  based  on  mistaken  ideas. 

Sympathy. 

When  a  buyer  has  given  spontaneous  attention  he  is 
in  sympathy  with  and  has  created  a  favorable  opening 
for  the  salesman. 

Sympathy  will  in  some  cases  cause  a  buyer  to  pur- 
chase a  thing  he  does  not  desire,  or  has  not  much  use  for. 
If  a  salesman  wishes  to  take  advantage  of  this  it  is  better 
to  let  well  enough  alone  and  not  try  to  impress  the  buyer 
with  value  or  desirability,  as  it  destroys  the  original  intent 

-37— 


and  will  in  many  cases  cause  the  loss  of  the  sale.  The 
buyer  wishes  to  give,  more  than  to  buy,  and  finds  a  pleas- 
ure in  doing  so. 

Self- Attention. 

Self-attention  is  holding  a  buyer  up  before  his  own 
eyes  with  the  intention  of  weakening  his  opposition  to  the 
proposition  m  hand.  It  will  often  descend  to  flattery,  or 
resort  to  ridicule.  It  may  often  run  on  into  propitiation, 
sympathy,  persuasion,  and  induce  forget  fulness.  It  is  a 
strong  weapon  used  against  some  types  of  the  emotional. 

Persuasion. 

Persuasion  lies  in  the  proper  presentaiicn  of  a  proposi- 
tion, in  the  manner,  expression,  and  voice.  It  lies  in 
overcoming  all  opposition,  and  completely  reversing  a 
buyer's  mind,  or  guiding  it  when  you  have  a  favorable 
start.  Persuasion  may  be  advice,  coaxing,  an  emotional 
appeal,  or  it  may  be  a  strong  current  of  logic  that  washes 
away  all  opposition  and  leaves  the  mind  free  from  all  but 
one  idea.  And  this  idea  is  that  the  buyer  wants,  or  can 
use,  the  proposition  the  salesman  is  selling.  This  is  the 
hypnotism  of  salesmanship. 

Inducing  Forgetfulness. 

Inducing  forgetfulness  of  an  idea  that  is  inimical  to 
the  prospects  of  the  salesman  is  one  way  of  overcoming 
an  obstacle.  This  is  done  by  sudden  inhibition,  or  by 
adroitly  changing  the  subject  and  gradually  leading  up  to 
another  variation  of  the  proposition. 

—38— 


This  should  only  be  resorted  to  when  a  stronger  idea 
cannot  be  used  to  overcome  the  one  opposed,  or  when  the 
mind  is  not  favorable  to  reason. 

Propitiation. 

Propitiation  may  be  used  when  a  salesman  has  pur- 
posely wrought  up  the  buyer  in  order  to  stir  his  blood 
into  action.  The  salesman  should  never  stir  up  a  buyer 
who  is  obstinate  or  short  on  benevolence,  for  these  do  not 
forgive  very  easily. 

Propitiation  is  often  a  very  effective  weapon  when 
used  to  conciliate  a  buyer  who  considers  himself  wrongly 
used.  I  have  often  made  a  firm  friend  and  lasting  cus- 
tomer in  this  way. 

Ordinarily  a  salesman  should  have  his  subject  so  well 
in  hand,  and  judge  the  character  of  his  buyer  so  well, 
that  the  trend  of  the  sale  will  not  run  into  a  channel  that 
w411  require  propitiation. 

Wonder. 

Wonder  creates  natural  attention  and  fixes  the  mind 
on  the  proposition  in  hand  to  the  exclusion  of  everything 
else. 

When  the  salesman  has  created  wonder  in  the  mind  of 
the  buyer  he  has  an  excellent  start  and,  unless  something 
antagonistic  is  interposed,  should  be  able  to  guide  the 
mind  through  the  different  stages  that  lead  to  the  con- 
summation of  the  sale. 

Surprise. 
Surprise  is  the  most  efficient  weapon  of  all.    When  the 
—39— 


mind  is  surprised  it  is  highly  sensitized  and  the  idea  that 
the  salesman  wishes  to  introduce  sinks  into  the  brain  with 
such  force  that,  if  the  salesman  is  skillful  and  follows  up 
his  advantage,  he  has  practically  won  his  battle. 

If  the  reader  will  consider  the  effect  that  surprise  has 
had  upon  himself,  or  upon  others  W'hom  he  has  seen 
surprised,  he  will  appreciate  the  efficiency  of  this  weapon 
far  better  than  any  description  I  can  give. 

The  expression,  "I  was  so  surprised  that  you  could 
have  knocked  me  down  with  a  feather,"  is  an  apt  descrip- 
tion of  this  condition. 

When  using  surprise  the  salesman  should  quickly  fol- 
low up  his  advantage  to  prevent  combative  ideas  from 
arising  in  the  mind. 

Imitation. 

The  idea  of  imitation  is  used  by  the  salesman  to  influ- 
ence a  buyer  by  what  his  competitors,  or  others,  are  doing. 
When  used  upon  a  buyer  who  lacks  originality,  and  con- 
ducts his  business  on  lines  imitating  others,  it  is  a  strong 
weapon.  Yet  the  trend  in  many  lines  today  runs  toward 
handling  different  goods  from  that  of  competitors.  When 
such  is  the  case  with  a  salesman's  line  he  must  make  sure 
of  his  buyer  before  using  this  idea ;  otherwise  the  sale 
will  be  lost. 

Ordinarily,  however,  example  is  a  powerful  weapon 
and  can  be  used  upon  all  classes  of  buyers. 

Fear. 

Fear  can  often  be  used  as  an  important  factor  in  the 
closing  of  a  sale. 

—40— 


The  fear  that  there  will  be  a  scarcity  of  an  article, 
that  the  price  will  advance,  that  unless  a  buyer  acts  imme- 
diately he  will  be  unable  to  get  the  article,  that  his  com- 
petitors will  have  it,  that  the  best  numbers  of  a  line  will 
soon  be  sold,  and  many  other  arguments  of  a  similar 
nature  can  be  used. 

Use  them  only  when  they  are  true,  never  as  a  bluft. 
When  used  as  a  surprise  fear  is  most  effective,  and  should 
be  forcibly  impressed  on  the  mind  of  the  buyer,  but  never 
in  a  manner  suggestive  of  coercion. 

Persistence. 

Persistence  is  necessary,  but  must  be  rightly  used. 
Many  salesmen  lack  tact  in  their  persistence,  and  make 
enemies  instead  of  friends. 

Other  salesmen  are  afraid  to  be  persistent  for  fear  that 
they  will  make  enemies. 

The  mode  of  persistence  depends  upon  the  buyer.  We 
will  now  take  up  the  different  types  of  buyers. 


—41— 


HANDLING  THE  DIFFERENT  TYPES  OF 
BUYERS. 

Many  of  my  lady-like,  timid,  and  ultra-conservative 
readers  have  no  doubt  been  greatly  shocked  at  some  of 
the  strong  methods  I  have  used. 

To  such  readers  I  will  say  that  salesmanship  is  every- 
thing from  gentle  tact  to  shirt-sleeve  diplomacy.  Not 
that  a  salesman  is  ever  obliged  to  fight  He  is  too  shrewd 
a  judge  of  human  nature  for  that.  A  salesman  meets  all 
kinds  of  buyers  when  on  the  road.  Some  are  thorough 
gentlemen  and  niust  be  treated  as  such.  Others  are  ex- 
tremely boorish,  and  there  are  few  such  that  are  influ- 
enced by  dignified  composure.  Some  boors  know  so  little 
of  men  and  the  world  tliat  they  consider  calm  dignity 
as  a  confession  of  weakness.  A  few  of  these  may  be 
quelled  by  a  stern  and  steadfast  look,  but  obstinacy  and 
sullenness  follow,  and  these  are  not  alv/ays  passed  over 
successfully.  I  have  found  that  well  calculated  excite- 
ment that  is  sincerely  expressed  produces  better  results. 
Nor  are  the  rude  mannered  confined  to  the  lower  classes 
of  buyers.  I  have  in  mind  a  certain  buyer  who  is  one  of 
the  largest  of  his  kind.  I  have  sold  this  buyer  thousands 
of  dollars'  worth  of  goods,  but  have  never  received  a 

—42— 


pleasant  word  from  him.  But  that  buyer  never  started 
an  argument  with  me  that  I  did  not  leave  with  an  order. 

Most  buyers  prefer  to  deal  with  equals.  Some  with 
those  whom  they  think  that  they  can  influence.  Others 
with  those  whom  they  consider  their  superiors. 

A  salesman  ascends,  descends,  and  finds  his  own  level 
as  he  goes  along  the  road. 

The  following  types  of  buyers  have  been  taken  from 
the  writer's  own  experience.  The  phrenological  names 
of  the  faculties  are  given  for  their  identification.  The 
writer  has  sold  all  classes  of  merchants,  from  Marshall 
Feild  &  Co.,  the  largest  in  the  world,  down  to  the  small- 
est country  merchant.  His  experiences  have  led  him 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  He  has  constantly  been 
a  close  observer  and  student  of  men  and  motives. 

Handling  a  buyer  lies  mostly  in  conditioning  his  mind 
for  the  selling  argument. 

The  Buyer  Who  Loves  to  Argue. 

The  love  of  argument  springs  from  Combativeness, 
Approbativeness  and  Language.  If  the  buyer  be  strong 
on  Conscientiousness  and  you  have  an  argument  that  will 
overcome  the  one  opposed,  use  it  and  the  buyer's  hon- 
esty will  compel  him  to  admit  the  force  of  your  argu- 
ment. H  you  lack  a  stronger  argument  on  some  point 
than  the  one  he  opposes,  you  have  failed  to  prepare 
yourself.  In  this  case  you  must  bring  up  some  point 
or  points  that  you  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  and  can- 
not be  contradicted  upon.  As  you  analyze  the  point  or 
points  the  buyer's  honesty  will  create  doubt  as  to  opppsing 

—43— 


your  proposition  as  a  whole.  When  you  have  created 
doubt,  press  your  points.  Avoid  argument  with  those 
deficient  in  Conscientiousness,  for  they  will  resort  to 
almost  any  means  to  gain  their  point.  Those  of  this  class 
generally  have  rather  strong  Approbativeness  and  will 
always  want  to  be  right  whether  they  are  right  or  wrong. 
Argue  only  enough  to  show  them  that  they  are  wrong, 
then  give  them  a  chance  to  yield  gracefully  by  telling 
them  that  while  they  are  right  in  a  way  there  is  a  point 
that  should  be  considered  in  connection.  He  will  want 
to  know  what  it  is.  Take  up  the  next  point  and  continue 
in  a  voice  and  manner  that  is  devoid  of  contention.  He 
sees  that  you  know  your  business  and  will  be  inclined  to 
Hsten. 

The  Disputative  Buyer. 

The  difference  between  the  disputative  and  the  argu- 
mentative buyer  is  that  the  disputative  is  more  forceful  in 
his  argument.  This  is  because  Destructiveness  is  added 
to  Combativeness.  The  disputative  will  be  very  aggressive 
in  his  arguments. 

If  this  buyer  cannot  be  controlled  without  dispute  he 
must  be  strongly  inhibited.  Lead  him  into  a  heated  de- 
bate and  when  you  have  him  all  wrapped  up  in  the  subject 
cause  him  to  make  an  assertion  that  you  are  prepared  to 
overcome  most  convincingly.  When  he  has  made  his 
assertion,  pause  a  moment,  then  plant  your  argument  in 
a  low,  soothing  voice.  The  sudden  change  will  utterly 
dumfound  him  because  it  is  unexpected,  and  the  shock 
of  the  surprise  will  draw  the  blood  from  Combativeness 

—44— 


and  Destructiveness  and  your  suggestion  will  strike  the 
faculty  at  which  you  have  aimed  it  with  powerful  force. 
Then  continue  in  the  same  low  voice,  directing  the  blood 
from  faculty  to  faculty,  until  you  have  finished  your  argu- 
ment. Remember  that  your  manner  and  expression  must 
be  in  perfect  harmony  with  your  voice,  and  all  three 
should  express  absolute  sincerity.  If  you  laugh  when  you 
see  his  sudden  change  of  expression  you  will  anger  him 
and  lose  the  sale. 

The  Opinionated  Buyer. 

The  Opinionated  buyer  is  strong  on  Firmness  and 
Combativeness.  He  differs  from  the  Argumentative  and 
Disputative  type  in  that  lie  is  honest  in  his  opinion  and 
clings  to  it  for  this  reason  and  not  from  a  desire  to  argue 
or  dispute.  He  differs  from  the  Inflexible  buyer  because 
he  is  honest  in  his  opinion  and  not  really  stubborn.  He 
is  generally  quietly  firm  and  not  disposed  to  argue  after 
he  has  given  his  opinion. 

When  you  see  wherein  the  fallacy  of  his  reasoning 
lies,  do  not  commence  your  attack  in  a  direct  manner. 
Instead  you  must  partly  agree  with  him  and  blend  your 
ideas  with  something  expressed  in  his  opinion  and  then 
work  towards  your  point  in  a  way  that  gradually  en- 
lightens him,  and  you  will  have  him  convinced  without 
antagonism. 

The  Inflexible  Buyer. 

This  buyer  is  most  unreasonably  stubborn  and  this 
stubbornness  is  caused  by  extremely  large  Combativeness, 

—45— 


Firmness  and  Self-Esteem.  His  face  expresses  stub- 
bornness. Any  attempt  to  persuade  this  buyer  by  reason- 
ing- with  him  is  only  a  waste  of  time  and  will  increase  his 
resistance.  Your  only  method  lies  in  planting  a  sug- 
gestion that  will  cause  him  to  take  the  initiate  in  investi- 
gating your  proposition.  Plant  your  suggestion  tactfully 
and  when  explaining  or  suggesting  avoid  all  antagonism. 

The  Impolite  Buyer. 

Impoliteness  may  sometimes  spring  from  thoughtless- 
ness or  irritability,  but  when  it  is  a  permanent  trait  it  is 
caused  by  weak  Approbativeness  and  agreeableness. 

In  this  case  I  have  never  yet  seen  one  of  the  type 
whose  Combativeness  and  Destructiveness  would  strongly 
resent  an  angry  voice  and  manner  that  was  quickly  fol- 
lowed up  by  convincing  arguments  in  favor  of  a  propo- 
sition. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  getting  angry  and  de- 
manding respect  for  yourself  from  this  type.  Instead 
take  advantage  of  his  surprise  to  impress  him  with  your 
proposition. 

The  Irritable  Buyer. 

Irritability  springs  from  Approbativeness.  With  this 
faculty  and  Combativeness  and  Destructiveness  strongly 
in  the  lead  over  his  other  faculties  a  buyer  will  be  very 
susceptible  of  anger  or  passion.  You  must  soothe  this 
type  into  calmness  before  attempting  to  impress  him  with 
your  proposition.  When  you  have  him  calm  proceed 
with  your  argument  without  antagonism  and  tactfully 


explain  away  any  reasons  or  opinions  that  he  may  oppose. 
Do  not  lose  your  self-possession  and  you  can  surely  con- 
trol him. 

The  Buyer  of  Choleric  Temper. 

This  type  is  created  by  the  same  faculties  as  the 
Irritable,  only  is  much  stronger.  The  color  of  the  face  is 
fiery  red  or  very  dark.  The  expression  of  the  face  shows 
strong  temper. 

Avoid  arguments  with  this  buyer  for  when  heated  he 
will  not  listen  to  reason  and  will  often  resort  to  force. 
Show  no  fear,  for  some  of  them  will  take  pleasure  in 
making  you  afraid.  Let  your  manner  show  a  liking  and 
respect  for  them.  This  will  please  their  Approbativeness. 
If  they  have  humor  make  them  laugh.  Do  not  attempt  to 
gain  interest  for  your  proposition  until  you  have  drawn 
the  blood  away  from  Combativeness  and  Destructiveness. 

The  Aggressive  Buyer. 

Aggressiveness  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Destruct- 
iveness. In  this  case  Secretiveness  is  added  and  Combat- 
iveness is  innocuous. 

The  aggressive  buyer  is  the  one  who  tries  to  take  the 
reins  into  his  own  hands  and  conduct  an  interview  or  an 
inspection  of  samples  his  own  way. 

To  allow  tliis  is  reversing  the  order  of  things,  for  the 
salesman  is  influenced  and  not  the  buyer.  If  a  buyer  at- 
tempts this  a  salesman  should  put  a  stop  to  it  at  once, 
and  at  the  same  time  gain  an  advantage.  This  method  is 
generally  employed  as  a  bluff  to  frighten  salesmen  into 

—47— 


giving  lower  prices  or  yield  some  other  advantage. 
Bluffers  are  cowardly  at  bottom,  and  a  sudden  and  un- 
expected attack  catches  them  off  their  guard. 

This  type  is  generally  pretty  well  endowed  with  Cau- 
tiousness, and  the  salesman  can  gain  a  decided  advantage 
by  quickly  turning  angry  and  by  forcibly  expressing  his 
anger  by  voice,  manner,  expression,  and  gestures.  This 
will  surprise  and  shock  the  mind  and  sensitize  it  so  that 
a  strong  suggestion  planted  immediately  will  produce 
good  results.  The  suggestion  to  use  is  a  positive  state- 
ment in  favor  of  the  salesman's  proposition,  and  should 
be  quickly  supplemented  by  other  suggestions  in  order 
to  keep  the  buyer's  mind  solely  upon  the  proposition  and 
prevent  him  from  thinking  about  his  wounded  feelings. 

When  this  method  is  due  to  haste  on  the  part  of  the 
buyer,  the  salesman  can  suggest  that  in  order  to  save 
time  for  the  buyer  he  will  take  a  short  cut.  The  salesman 
has  then  gained  attention,  which  he  should  sustain  or  run 
into  interest ;  and  the  buyer  will  forget  his  hurry.  The 
curious  sometimes  take  this  method  to  conceal  their 
curiosity,  but  they  are  handled  in  a  different  way,  which 
will  be  taken  up  later. 

The  "Know  It  All"  Buyer. 

This  buyer  has  large  Approbativeness  and  Self-Esteem. 
When  large  Combativeness,  Destructiveness,  and  Firm- 
ness are  added  the  buyer  is  extremely  "know  it  all."  Rule 
yourself  by  this  buyer's  Approbativeness.  Create  doubt 
in  a  conciliatory  manner.  The  larger  his  Cautiousness, 
the  easier  it  will  be.  Your  conciliatory  manner  will  satisfy 

—48^ 


his  Approbativeness,  Then  proceed  with  your  argument 
in  an  interrogative  manner ;  that  is,  by  asking  his  opinion 
on  every  point.  The  flattery  to  his  Approbativeness  and 
the  doubt  you  have  created  will  influence  his  opinions 
and  he  will  be  combatively  acquiescent.  Continue  along 
this  line  and  you  will  gain  consent  of  will. 

The  Disagreeable  Buyer. 

This  type  is  created  by  Destructiveness,  Approbative- 
ness, Combativeness,  and  Comparison.  It  will  love  to 
criticise  and  boast. 

When  dealing  with  this  type,  quickly  put  a  stop  to  his 
criticising  and  boasting  by  a  forceful,  positive,  and  even 
angry  voice  and  manner.  Then  justify  your  attack  on 
his  Approbativeness  by  quickly  presenting  your  strongest 
arguments  in  favor  of  your  proposition.  The  attack  must 
come  as  a  surprise,  which  will  drive  away  his  opposition 
and  excite  interest  in  your  proposition.  Quickly  press 
your  advantage  in  a  strong  and  positive  manner  and  he 
will  yield. 

The  Antipathetic  Buyer. 

A  salesman  will  sometimes  meet  a  buyer  who  shows 
a  marked  aversion  toward  him,  and  he  experiences  the 
same  feeling  toward  the  buyer.  This  is  natural,  for  the 
natures  are  exactly  opposite.  The  faculties  that  are 
predominant  in  one  are  weaker  in  the  other  and  no 
sympathy  exists  between  them. 

The  salesman  can  overcome  this  antipathy  by  throwing 

—49— 


himself  into  sympathy  with  the  other's  feelings.  This 
will  surprise  the  buyer  and  create  doubt.  When  doubt 
is  created  press  the  advantage.  By  persistence  and  study 
of  the  character  the  salesman  can  win  the  buyer  over. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  An  Egoist. 

Egoism  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Self-Esteem. 
This  buyer  considers  everything  only  in  relation  to  him- 
self. All  his  other  faculties  are  made  subservient  to  his 
Self-Esteem. 

His  manner  toward  the  salesman  will  be  so  equably 
self-sufficient  as  to  be  disconcerting  unless  you  know  the 
type. 

You  must  lead  this  buyer  into  a  discussion  of  your 
proposition.  Do  not  attempt  to  do  all  the  talking  your- 
self. Do  not  use  a  suave  or  heated  voice  or  manner. 
Instead  use  a  voice  and  manner  that  is  even  and  matter- 
of-fact.  Talk  until  he  shows  a  desire  to  take  the  initia- 
tive. He  will  then  create  an  opening  for  you,  generally 
by  offering  some  objection. 

Your  talk  up  to  this  point  should  be  with  the  distinct 
purpose  of  leading  up  to  an  objection  that  you  can  easily 
overcome.  After  you  have  tactfully  removed  the  objec- 
tion you  have  created  doubt  and  he  is  not  so  sure  of 
himself.  Then  proceed  systematically  with  your  argu- 
ment. 

The  Buyer  Who  Brags. 

Bragging  springs  from  Approbativeness,  Combative- 
ness  and  desires  approval  and  praise, 

—50— 


Listen  patiently  to  the  braggart,  for  that  man  is  reveal- 
ing a  part  of  his  nature  to  you. 

Praise  and  approve  those  of  large  Firmness  and  Self- 
Esteem,  for  to  show  disbelief  makes  them  sullen. 

To  those  of  small  Firmness  and  Self-Esteem  appear 
partly  unconvinced,  to  pique  them.  After  they  have  con- 
vinced you  again  you  can  give  them  your  praise  and  take 
advantage  of  the  elation  that  follows. 

The  Conservative  Buyer. 

The  faculties  that  create  conservatism  are  Acquisitive- 
ness, Conscientiousness,  Secretiveness  and  Cautiousness. 
The  faculties  of  Vitativeness,  Veneration,  and  Approba- 
tiveness  furnish  the  motives.  The  face  expresses  con- 
servatism. 

A  true  conservative  dislikes  anything  radical  and  it  is 
therefore  necessary  to  present  a  radical  proposition  in 
a  manner  that  will  blend  with  his  conservative  ideas. 
This  blending  of  ideas  weakens  the  distinct  idea  of  oppo- 
sition and  creates  doubt.  With  doubt  in  his  favor  the 
skillful  salesman  can  gain  interest,  or  sustained  attention 
that  lacks  strong  opposition. 

To  effect  the  blending  of  ideas  the  salesman  must 
select  the  points  of  his  argument  that  he  knows  are  most 
closely  associated  with  the  conservative's  mind  and  then 
progress  systematically,  step  by  step,  constantly  preparing 
the  mind  for  each  new  idea,  so  that  instead  of  seeming 
radical,  the  new  ideas  will  seem  as  a  natural  or  logical 
sequence  to  the  preceding  ideas. 

In  order  to  do  this  it  is  necessary  that  the  salesman 
be  thorough  master  of  his  proposition. 


The  Curious  Buyer. 

Curiosity  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Individuality 
and  any  of  the  faculties  of  Constructiveness,  Causality, 
Approbativeness,  Cautiousness,  and  Secretiveness.  If 
the  opposite  sex  is  concerned  it  will  spring  from  Amative- 
ness.  The  curious  will  conceal  their  curiosity  by  indif- 
ference, exaggerated  interest,  or  by  expressing  surprise 
and  by  agreeing  with  the  salesman  in  all  he  says,  but  ends 
by  saying,  "I  don't  think  I  want  it,"  or  an  expression 
to  that  effect. 

Never  show  anger  toward  the  curious,  for  they  are 
expecting  it,  and  anger  should  only  be  used  to  create 
surprise,  unless  you  have  some  hold  on  the  other.  The 
curious  already  have  a  sense  of  guiltiness,  and  anger 
will  not  surprise  them,  it  will  only  drive  them  away. 

When  a  salesman  sees  that  he  is  dealing  with  curiosity 
he  should  never  allow  the  curiosity  to  become  satisfied, 
but  should  concentrate  upon  a  point  that  he  knows  the 
other  will  become  interested  in.  This  will  induce  for- 
getfulness  of  curiosity  and  develop  genuine  interest. 

The  apparent  experience  of  the  buyer  and  the  sales^ 
man's  knowledge  of  phrenology  will  enable  him  to  deter- 
mine the  point  of  attack. 

The  Conceited  Buyer. 

Conceit  is  self-flattery  and  displays  itself  by  extreme 
self-assurance.  It  comes  from  Approbativeness.  Never 
antagonize  this  type.  The  best  line  of  attack  is  to  pay 
deference  to  his  opinions  and  he  will  unbosom  himself. 
When  you  have  drawn  him  out,  select  his  weak  points 

«— '^'>__ 


and  attack  them  by  tactful  suggestions.    This  will  create 
doubt,  which  advantage  should  be  quickly  pressed. 

The  conceited  are  seldom  deep,  for  their  conceit  causes 
them  to  become  too  easily  satisfied  with  themselves. 

The  Buyer  That  Cannot  Say  No. 

This  character's  faculties  of  Friendship,  Approbative- 
ness,  and  Benevolence  are  in  the  lead  over  his  Firmness 
and  Self-Esteem.  When  pressed  this  character  will  show 
weak  determination.  His  Friendship  will  make  him  yield 
through  affection.  Benevolence  makes  him  yield  to  a 
desire  to  be  kind,  Approbativeness  will  make  him  yield 
through  fear  of  displeasure  or  ridicule. 

This  buyer  is  easily  handled  through  these  faculties 
but  should  not  be  taken  advantage  of. 

The  Communicative  Buyer. 

This  character  has  large  Language  and  friendship, 
and  rather  small  Secretiveness.  His  eyes  are  full  if  not 
large  or  bulging.    His  face  v.ears  a  guileless  expression. 

This  buyer  will  tell  all  he  knows,  even  his  innermost 
secrets,  if  tactfully  drawn  out. 

Simply  find  out  his  weak  points  and  use  them  against 
him. 

The  Credulous  Buyer. 

The  credulous  are  weak  in  the  faculties  of  Human 
Nature,  Secretiveness,  Casuality  and  Comparison,  and 
strong  on  Spirituality,  Conscientiousness  and  Veneration. 

This  type  is  very  susceptible  to  plausibility  and  some 

—53— 


salesmen,  who  yield  to  the  worst  side  of  their  nature, 
seeing  that  they  have  a  sucker  to  deal  with,  hand  them 
a  package.     (Excuse  the  expression.) 

This  is  a  short-sighted  policy,  even  though  we  do  not 
consider  the  right  and  wrong  of  the  matter.  The  buyer 
is  overloaded  or  buys  goods  that  he  cannot  use,  and  a 
customer  is  lost  for  the  house. 

Yet  there  are  some  of  this  type  who  are  stung  time 
and  time  again  by  the  same  salesman,  and  each  time 
they  vow  never  to  have  any  more  dealings  with  him. 
But  when  the  salesman  next  arrives  he  gives  the  buyer 
another  dose  of  plausibility  and  hands  him  another 
package. 

If  you  are  honest  and  sincere  with  this  type  they  will 
give  you  their  confidence,  and  it  should  not  be  betrayed. 

Sometimes  a  buyer  possessing  all  these  faculties  nor- 
mal will  by  circumstances  be  reduced  to  necessity  for  a 
thing  and  is  easily  convinced  because  he  wishes  to  be. 

The  Cunning  Buyer. 

Cunning  springs  from  Secretiveness  and  is  actuated  by 
Acquisitiveness  and  Approbativeness. 

This  buyer  will  resort  to  tricks  and  stratagems  to  get 
the  best  of  a  salesman. 

You  can  instantly  recognize  the  type  by  their  unwill- 
ingness to  meet  a  point  directly.  They  prefer  to  employ 
finesse.  If  their  method  takes  a  straightforward  manner 
you  can  detect  it  by  a  searching  or  questioning  look  in 
their  eyes. 

After  this  type  becomes  interested  they  generally  wish 

-54— 


to  take  the  initiative.  You  can  allow  them  to  think  that 
they  are  having  their  own  way,  but  by  tactful  suggestions 
you  should  lead  them  along  the  line  of  your  argument. 
As  you  proceed,  it  will  gradually  dawn  upon  his  mind 
that  he  is  being  led,  and,  while  he  may  feel  a  bit  nettled, 
he  will  respect  you,  and  when  it  comes  to  the  question 
of  price  you  can  take  a  firm  stand. 

You  can,  if  you  wish,  take  a  straightforward  manner 
and  hold  them  directly  to  the  point,  but  this  manner  is 
displeasing  to  them.    They  love  and  admire  finesse. 

The  Cold-Mannered  Buyer. 

A  cold  manner  is  caused  by  weak  social  faculties  and 
weak  Approbativeness,  or  by  these  faculties  being  held 
strongly  in  check.  If  the  latter,  it  generally  springs  from 
Secretiveness  and  is  actuated  by  Acquisitiveness. 

This  buyer  is  handled  through  the  intellect  and 
Acquisitiveness. 

Present  your  argument  in  an  even,  matter-of-fact  voice 
and  wait  for  an  opening.  When  the  opening  presents 
itself,  press  it,  but  not  too  eagerly. 

If  he  is  strong  on  some  particular  faculty  that  you 
can  attack,  do  so,  but  not  in  a  manner  that  will  suggest 
influence. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  Concentrative. 

Concentrativeness  comes  from  the  faculty  of  Conti- 
nuity. When  strong  Causality  and  Crmparison  are  added 
to  Continuity  it  will  cause  a  buyer  to  fall  into  a  deep 
study  of  a  thing  that  interests  him. 

—55— 


Should  a  salesman  suddenly  stop  in  his  argument,  the 
buyer  will  go  on  thinking  and  the  salesman  does  not 
know  just  where  the  buyer's  mind  is  at. 

It  is  therefore  necessary  that  a  salesman  should  have 
his  selling  argument  so  prepared  that  he  can  proceed 
systematically,  and  thoroughly  elucidate  each  point  as  he 
goes  along.  In  this  way  he  guides  the  mind  and  knows 
where  he  is  at. 

The  Buyer  Who  Likes  to  Compare. 

A  desire  to  compare  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Indi- 
viduality. Although  a  buyer  may  compare  things,  he  may 
not  be  a  competent  judge,  for  he  may  be  weak  on  the 
faculties  that  are  affected  by  the  thing  sold. 

The  salesman  should  know  what  faculties  are  affected 
by  his  proposition  and  after  seeing  the  faculties  that  his 
buyer  is  weak  or  strong  on,  can  act  accordingly. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Changeable. 

Experience  must  also  be  taken  into  consideration. 

Changeableness  comes  from  weak  Continuity,  Self- 
Esteem,  Causality,  and  Firmness. 

The  lack  of  Firmness  and  Self-Esteem  gives  you  the 
key  to  the  mode  of  operation.  Play  upon  the  faculties 
of  Friendship,  Benevolence,  and  Approbativeness. 

The  Cheerful  Buyer. 

A  lastingly  cheerful  disposition  comes  from  strong 
Hope,  Mirthfulness,  Benevolence,  Conscientiousness, 
Spirituality,  Self-Esteem,  and  Combativeness. 

—56— 


These  faculties  strong  give  a  character  a  natural  and 
permanently  cheerful  disposition. 

Temporary  cheerfulness  is  different.  It  does  not 
spring  so  much  from  the  faculties  as  from  the  events 
that  affect  the  faculties. 

Present  prosperity,  or  temporary  smooth  sailing, 
causes  cheerfulness.  Some  late  success  causes  a  feel- 
ing of  elation  or  satisfaction  that  induces  cheerfulness. 
Future  events  that  are  auspicious  for  the  individual 
cause  cheerfulness. 

Those  of  the  natural  and  permanent  disposition  are 
not  influenced  by  their  cheerfulness,  while  those  of  the 
temporary  are.  They  are  tempted  to  take  chances 
through  the  feeling  of  elation  that  induces  their  cheer- 
fulness. The  expression  of  the  face  tells  the  difference 
between  the  two.  The  face  of  the  temporary  shows 
elation  or  satisfaction  and  only  partially  effaces  some 
other  expression,  while  that  of  the  natural  or  permanent 
shows  that  cheerfulness  is  habitual. 

Use  the  permanent  disposition  as  a  means  to  a  propi- 
tious beginning,  but  use  the  temporary  as  a  means  to 
an  end. 

The  Deceitful  Buyer. 

The  deceitful  are  weak  on  Conscientiousness,  Venera- 
tion, Friendship,  and  Benevolence,  and  are  strong  on  Ac- 
quisitiveness, Secretiveness  and  Approbativeness. 

This  type  is  extremely  selfish  and  will  use  any  means 
to  deceive  you  in  order  to  gain  their  point. 

They  are  very  undesirable  customers.     You  can  place 

—57— 


no  confidence  in  them,  for  they  will  try  to  get  the  best 
of  you  at  every  opportunity.  They  will  take  discounts 
to  which  they  are  not  entitled,  and  will  return  goods  that 
they  cannot  sell,  upon  some  lying  pretext.  They  will 
go  further  if  necessary  to  avoid  loss  to  themselves. 

Hold  this  type  strictly  to  an  agreement  or  under- 
standing. Do  not  give  them  an  inch,  for  they  will  take 
a  yard. 

Buyers  Who  Intend  to  Defraud. 

This  character  has  Acquisitiveness  far  stronger  than 
Conscientiousness. 

A  buyer  who  intends  to  defraud,  and  lacks  Secretive- 
ness,  will  show  his  intentions  by  a  guilty  and  hurried 
manner,  and  indifferent  or  loose  buying. 

If  he  has  Secretiveness  large  he  will  use  almost  as 
much  care  as  an  honest  man. 

But  if  the  salesman  is  a  close  observer  of  expression 
and  heads  he  will  be  suspicious  when  he  sees  a  tricky 
or  unreliable  expression,  or  a  deficiency  in  Conscientious- 
ness. Observe  the  eyes  when  asking  for  references,  and 
if  you  find  any  tell-tale  expression  there,  it  is  best  to 
suggest  care  to  the  credit  man. 

If  the  buyer  has  been  dealing  with  the  house  for  any 
length  of  time,  and  stands  all  right  with  the  credit  man, 
he  is  likely  to  slip  one  over,  unless  he  betrays  himself 
by  his  buying. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Doubters. 

Doubt  springs  from  Cautiousness. 

This  buyer  lacks  positive  qualities  and  is  continually 

—58— 


doubting  that  he  is  getting  the  lowest  price,  the  best 
terms,  that  the  goods  are  right,  or  anything  involved  in 
the  transaction. 

When  you  see  that  you  have  a  doubter  to  deal  with 
and  cannot  control  him  by  ordinary  means,  lead  him 
up  to  a  strong  surprise.  Get  angry  if  necessary.  When 
you  have  created  surprise,  quickly  follow  it  up  in  a 
strong  and  positive  voice  and  manner.  His  doubts  are 
inhibited  and  his  mind  follows  yours. 

The  Dignified  Buyer. 

True  dignity  comes  from  Self-Esteem,  Approbative- 
ness,  Conscientiousness,  Veneration,  and  Benevolence. 
It  dislikes  anything  mean,  underhanded,  or  sinful.  It  is 
honest  with  itself  and  others. 

True  dignity  is  easily  distinguished  from  assumed 
dignity,  for  there  is  no  exertion,  it  is  spontaneous,  and 
not  voluntary. 

This  type  is  influenced  by  a  quiet,  open,  straight- 
forward and  sincere  manner.  When  this  manner  is  used, 
attention  is  spontaneous.  Sustained  attention  or  interest 
is  gained  by  quiet  discussion.  When  he  shows  doubt 
or  acquiescence,  press  your  point  with  quiet  but  positive 
assurance. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Drinkers. 

The  desire  to  drink  comes  from  Alimentiveness. 

Drinking  between  buyer  and  salesman  is  far  more 
prevalent  than  is  supposed,  although  not  so  openly  as 
formerly. 

—59— 


A  drink  will  often  warm  a  buyer's  feelings  toward 
a  salesman,  but  a  salesman  should  never  make  a  practice 
of  drinking,  for  it  will  affect  his  success  in  many  ways, 
and  will  surely  get  him  in  the  end. 

Drinking  makes  a  Mr.  Hyde  of  a  Dr.  Jekyll  and  it 
also  makes  a  Dr.  Jekyll  of  a  Mr.  Hyde  for  the  time 
being. 

Letting  drink  alone  and  working  on  the  better  side 
of  a  buyer's  nature  will  prove  the  best  course  in  the  end. 

The  Envious  Buyer. 

Envy  comes  from  Self-Esteem  and  Approbativeness. 
Envy  in  a  buyer  will  spring  from  mortification,  or  a  feel- 
ing of  discontent,  that  is  caused  by  a  salesman's  success, 
or  because  the  salesman  possesses  some  superior  qualities 
or  advantages  that  the  buyer  lacks. 

The  salesman  should  never  show  that  he  sees  a  buyer's 
envy,  or  allow  him  to  put  the  envy  into  action. 

Instead,  he  should  show  good-will  toward  and  an 
interest  in  the  buyer.  Do  not  speak  of  your  success 
unless  it  is  to  influence  the  buyer  to  emulate  the  action 
of  others. 

Be  sure  to  gain  his  good-will,  and  the  fact  that  you 
are  successful  will  have  a  positive  influence  in  forming 
his  opinion  in  your  favor. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  Always  Busy. 

This  is  the  hustler  who  is  always  in  action.  He  is 
ambitious.  His  ambition  comes  from  Approbativeness, 
Conscience,  and  his  hustling  from  Destructiveness. 

— €0— 


This  type  is  always  busy,  and  if  you  are  a  stranger, 
the  chances  are  that  you  will  receive  but  scant  attention 
if  it  is  left  to  the  buyer. 

Go  after  him.  Be  persistent.  Attack  his  Combative- 
ness  if  necessary.  If  he  has  large  Mirthfulness,  make 
him  laugh.  Touch  his  Cautiousness,  Acquisitiveness, 
Combativeness,  Benevolence,  Conscientiousness,  Appro- 
bativeness,  or  Imitation.  Talk  forcefully  and  rapidly. 
Induce  forgetfulness  of  his  work.  When  you  have  done 
this,  proceed  systematically  with  your  argument.  If  you 
are  master  of  yourself  and  your  proposition,  you  can 
master  him. 

But  be  sure  that  your  voice  and  manner  are  sincere. 

The  Extravagant  Buyer. 

This  buyer  has  Acquisitiveness  and  Approbativeness 
in  the  lead  over  Conscientiousness,  Cautiousness,  and 
Causality.  His  desires  are  not  regulated  by  his  needs, 
and  he  is  continually  overbuying  or  buying  things  he  has 
no  need  for. 

This  buyer  is  generally  in  hot  water  and  finds  it  hard 
to  meet  his  obligations. 

If  a  salesman  knows  his  man  he  should  not  be  too 
enthusiastic,  for  he  will  find  it  hard  to  keep  him  from 
overbuying. 

This  is  not  a  practical  man,  and  his  face  will  show  it. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  Easily  Influenced. 

Those  who  are  easily  influenced  are  strong  on  Benevo- 
lence, Friendship,  and  Approbativeness.    They  are  weak 

.-61— 


on  Firmness,  Self-Esteem,  Combativeness,  Conscien- 
tiousness, and  Continuity. 

Their  character  is  evinced  by  a  lack  of  firmness  in 
their  manner,  a  strong  desire  to  please,  or  a  weakly 
combative  attitude. 

They  are  susceptible  to  sympathy,  a  sincere  manner  of 
good-will,  and  to  positiveness.  Use  tactful  persistence 
with  this  type,  and  onc2  you  have  aroused  their  interest 
your  battle  is  won. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  Easily  Rattled. 

This  buyer  has  large  Approbativeness,  Cautiousness, 
and  when  Conscientiousness  is  added,  is  more  easily 
rattled.  His  face  and  manner  will  show  that  he  is 
excitable.  If  you  cannot  handle  this  buyer  without 
excitement  work  him  up  in  a  manner  that  will  cause 
an  eager  and  rapid  debate  and  when  you  have  him 
worked  up  to  the  proper  pitch  lead  him  to  make  an 
assertion  that  you  can  overcome  most  positively  and 
convincingly.  He  will  then  either  propitiate,  remain 
silent,  or  stutteringly  attempt  a  further  argument.  In 
any  case  quickly  press  your  point,  for  you  have  him 
going. 

The  Flighty  Buyer. 

This  buyer  lacks  Continuity.  If  he  is  considering  some 
proposition  he  will  fly  from  one  point  to  another  with- 
out coherency.  If  he  is  looking  over  samples  that  are 
spread,  his  attention  is  distracted  and  he  will  wish  to  run 
around  and  examine  the  samples,  and  the  salesman  finds 
it  hard  to  control  him. 

—62— 


The  salesman  can  control  flightiness  by  having  his 
selling  argument  arranged  so  that  each  point  follows  in 
its  logical  order.  If  the  buyer  interrupts,  raise  your 
hand  and  ask  him  to  kindly  let  you  finish,  and  tell  him 
that  you  are  coming  to  that  point. 

When  showing  a  line  of  samples  a  salesman  should 
have  them  in  piles  and  not  spread.  This  prevents  dis- 
traction and  forces  concentration. 

The  Fastidious  Buyer. 

The  fastidious  buyer  has  large  Ideality  and  Order.  He 
will  always  have  some  suggestion  to  make  relative  to  im- 
proving the  thing  you  are  selling. 

If  this  buyer  indicates  his  willingness  to  purchase  a 
thing,  but  wants  a  change  made,  guide  yourself  by  these 
three  questions — "Will  it  pay?"  "Can  it  be  done  without 
serious  inconvenience?"  "Is  it  practical?"  If  the  answer 
is  in  the  negative  tell  the  buyer  so,  and  tactfully  dis- 
courage the  idea  by  suggestions  to  the  effect  that  it 
Vv'ould  be  to  the  buyer's  interest  or  advantage  to  pur- 
chase the  thing  as  it  is. 

The  Forgetful  Buyer. 

When  a  salesman  has  been  "stood  up"  on  an  appoint- 
ment and  it  is  due  to  forgetfulness  on  the  part  of  the 
buyer  the  salesman  has  only  himself  to  blame.  He  has 
simply  failed  to  properly  impress  the  faculties  that  he 
is  dealing  with.  Had  he  done  so  memory  by  association 
would  have  been  established,  and  an  auto-suggestion 
planted  that  would  have  recalled  the  appointment. 

—63— 


Never  be  satisfied  with  an  appointment  that  is  indif- 
ferently given. 

Buyers   Who   Buy   for   Friendship's   Sake. 

Friendship  is  the  goal  toward  which  the  salesman 
must  always  work.  Gaining  true  and  lasting  friendship 
that  favors  you  in  the  buying  is  the  culminating  point 
of  salesmanship.  This  friendship  will  sacrifice  many 
things  in  order  to  give  you  the  business. 

Friendship  may  spring  into  blossom  at  the  first  meet- 
ing, or  it  may  require  long  and  patient  cultivation. 

Use  your  knowledge  of  phrenology  to  promote  friend- 
ship. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Old  Fogies. 

This  type  has  large  Continuity  and  Firmness. 

The  old  fogy  can  be  reached  through  his  hobbies  and 
through  humoring  him.  Do  not  directly  antagonize  him, 
for  he  will  tell  you  that  he  has  been  doing  so  and  so  for 
many  years  and  that  you  cannot  change  him. 

Instead,  you  must  use  a  pleasant  manner  that  shows 
good-will  toward  him.  Draw  him  into  a  good-natured 
argument  and  let  him  unbosom  himself.  When  you  have 
found  out  the  weak  points  of  his  opposition,  change  from 
the  good-natured  manner  to  one  that  is  grave.  Then 
advance  your  argument  in  a  quiet  voice  that  expresses 
respect  for  him,  but  that  is  also  firmly  in  favor  of  your 
proposition.  When  you  see  that  you  have  him  convinced, 
create  an  opening  that  will  allow  him  to  appear  to  have 
found  something  to  his  advantage  that  will  serve  to  justify 
his  buying.     This  will  please  him,  for  he  does  not  like 

—64— 


to  give  in.     You  can   create   the  opening  by   asking  a 
question  that  will  suggest  the  idea  to  him. 

The  Buyer  of  Large  Femininity. 

The  facviities  that  create  the  predominance  of  Femin- 
inity in  a  person  are  these:  Parental  Love,  Conjugality, 
Benevolence,  Approbativeness,  Cautiousness,  Comparison, 
Human  Nature,  Color,  Order  and  Spirituality. 

Femininity  and  masculinity  are  combined  in  all.  When 
the  Feminine  is  strongly  in  the  lead  a  person  will  appear 
girlish  or  womanish. 

A  buyer  of  this  type  will  be  influenced  by  their  likes 
and  dislikes  more  than  by  the  proposition  itself. 

Use  an  agreeable,  ingratiating  voice  and  manner  wath 
this  type  and  you  can  gain  their  good-will.  After  their 
good-will  is  gained  they  will  feel  inclined  to  favor  you. 

The  Strongly  Masculine  Buyer. 

This  buyer  will  have  the  masculine  faculties  in  the 
lead.  These  are  Firmness,  Combativeness,  Destructive- 
ness,  Self-Esteem,  Causality,  Constructiveness,  Acquisi- 
tiveness, and  Amativeness. 

A  salesman  of  the  masculine  type  will  be  more  apt  to 
receive  spontaneous  attention  from  this  buyer  than  one 
of  the  feminine  type.  The  feminine  type  of  salesman 
must  preserve  his  coolness  and  show  neither  fear  nor 
resentment  at  anything  the  buyer  may  do  or  say,  for  the 
buyer  will  expect  it.  Do  the  unexpected  and  remain 
cool  and  firm.  This  will  surprise  him  and  create  respect 
for  you. 

—65— 


In  any  event,  whether  yon  ?.re  of  the  feminine  or 
mascnhne  type,  preserve  yonr  coohiess  v/ith  this  bnyer 
and  do  not  become  rattled.  He  has  some  w^eakness  that 
you  can  pick  out  and  attack.  All  men  have  some 
Vv'eakness. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Grafters. 

The  grafter's  Acquisitiveness  is  greater  than  his  Con- 
scientiousness. The  mode  of  operation  employed  by  a 
hired  buyer  is  generally  to  have  a  relative,  or  a  close 
friend,  get  lines  that  he  can  buy.  These  lines  are  gener- 
ally handled  on  a  commission  basis.  When  the  salesman 
draws  his  commissions  he  divides  v/ith  the  buyer. 

Sometimes  the  salesman  employs  some  one  else  to  sell 
the  buyer,  to  avert  suspicion.  Ke  may  handle  several 
lines. 

Some  buyers  employ  no  go-betv/een,  but  apply  direct 
for  their  graft.  When  the  graft  originates  with  the 
salesman,  he  first  forms  a  close  intimacy  with  the  buyer 
and  then  broaches  his  proposition. 

Grafting  is  an  easy  way  to  sell  goods.  The  grafters 
in  higher  circles  set  an  example  for  those  of  smaller 
caliber. 

Leaving  honesty  out  of  the  question,  there  is  this  to 
be  said  against  it :  It  spoils  a  man's  salesmanship,  and 
will  eventually  lead  to  trouble. 

Buyers  Who  Like  Good  Times. 

By  a  good  time  I  do  not  mean  ordinary  entertainment. 
I  have  reference  to  the  buyer  whose  good  time  consists 

—66— 


of  getting  drunk  and  associating  with  women  of  easy 
virtue.  The  salesman  who  makes  a  practice  of  getting 
business  in  this  way  generally  spends  all  he  makes,  and 
the  habits  he  contracts  continually  keep  him  in  hot  water. 
He  may  continue  for  a  long  time,  but  sooner  or  later  it 
will  put  him  on  the  toboggan. 

Work  on  the  better  side  of  the  buyer's  nature.  You 
can  do  so  by  real  salesmanship  and  will  not  have  to  buy 
your  man. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Gullible. 

This  type  is  weak  on  Human  Nature  and  Secretive- 
ness.  They  are  most  often  gulled  through  the  faculties 
of  Spirituality,  Benevolence,  Friendship,  and  Approba- 
tiveness.  To  take  an  imfair  advantage  of  this  type  is 
wrong.  When  you  see  that  they  are  easy,  put  yourself  in 
their  place  and  treat  them  as  you  would  yourself. 

To  gain  their  confidence  is  easy.  By  treating  them 
fairly  and  showing  a  genuine  interest  in  them  you  can 
gain  an  influence  that  will  be  hard  to  overcome. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  a  Hypocrite. 

The  genuine  hypocrite  has  large  Veneration  and  small 
Conscientiousness.  He  recognizes  the  value  of  religion 
as  an  asset  in  business.  He  wears  a  sanctimonious,  sor- 
rowing look.  His  voice  will  be  forgiving,  suave,  and 
insinuating.  The  more  sorrowful  and  sanctimonious  his 
look,  the  more  apt  he  is  to  be  engaged  in  misleading 
some  girl  or  defrauding  some  one  by  legal  means. 

When  dealing  with  this  type,  adopt  a  suave  and  insinu- 
ating manner  immediately  and  continue  in  the  same  way 

—67— 


unless  he  forgets  or  drops  his  mask  and  becomes  sincere. 
If  so,  you  must  become  sincere  also. 

There  is  another  type  of  hypocrite  that  uses  religion 
or  a  professed  love  of  others  to  gain  his  ends.  His 
manner  is  almost  sincere  and  he  uses  strong  logic  or 
sophistry  to  deceive  and  gain  his  ends. 

If  a  man  professes  a  strong  love  of  others,  look  at  his 
Conscientiousness.    It  will  tell  the  story. 

The  Honest  Buyer. 

Honesty  is  this  buyer's  distinguishing  trait  and  comes 
from  Conscientiousness.  With  large  Firmness  and  Self- 
Esteem  added  to  a  large  degree  of  this  faculty  a  man 
will  be  unswervingly  honest.  Their  faces  will  bear  an 
honest  expression  and  their  eyes  will  be  steady  and  open. 

Be  frank  and  open  with  this  buyer  for  he  dislikes 
anything  secretive. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Good  Judges  of  Human  Nature. 

These  buyers  have  the  faculty  of  Human  Nature  large. 
If  their  Individuality  is  also  large  they  are  generally 
correct  in  their  first  impressions  of  people.  These  two 
faculties  are  easily  seen. 

When  the  salesman  is  dealing  with  this  type  he  must 
always  be  sincere  and  straightforward  in  his  manner, 
for  this  buyer  will  follow  your  motives  instead  of  paying 
attention  to  your  proposition  if  you  are  not.  Get  his 
mind  ofif  you  and  draw  it  to  your  goods,  unless  there  is 
a  sympathy  between  you.  If  there  is,  use  this  sympathy 
to  your  advantage. 

--68— 


The  Impulsive  Buyer. 

This  buyer  has  some  faculties  that  are  predominant 
and  the  moment  they  are  touched  he  acts  or  speaks 
without  mature  thought. 

Rapid  speech  and  animated  manner  distinguish  these 
buyers.  If  they  are  combative  toward  you  lead  them  to 
make  some  assertion  that  will  be  damaging  to  their 
opposition;  then  tactfully  press  your  point.  When  all 
else  fails  use  strong  inhibition. 

If  they  are  in  sympathy  with  you  and  your  proposition 
their  desire  is  easily  awakened  and  consent  of  will  is 
generally  spontaneous. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  An  Imitator. 

Imitation  comes  from  the  faculty  of  the  same  name. 

This  buyer  follows  the  example  of  others  in  conduct- 
ing his  business.  All  men  are  swayed  more  or  less  by 
example,  but  this  buyer  is  strongly  so.  He  is  weak  on 
Individuality,  Ideality,  and  Constructiveness. 

These  buyers  wish  to  have  the  same  goods  as  the 
buyers  who  are  more  successful  than  themselves.  If  the 
other  buyers  are  in  the  same  neighborhood  the  Imitator 
wants  them  in  order  to  cut  the  price. 

Where  the  nature  of  a  line  is  such  that,  if  the  same 
things  are  handled  by  two  merchants  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, and  will  cause  confliction,  it  is  poor  policy  to 
sell  the  less  successful  merchant  the  same  things  that 
you  have  sold  to  the  successful.    You  will  first  lose  the 

—69— 


business  of  the  successful  and  then  that  of  the  imitator, 
for  he  no  longer  has  the  successful  merchant  to  imitate. 
It  is  best  to  hide  the  things  that  you  have  sold  to  the 
successful  and  sell  the  Imitator  something  else. 

Where  things  do  not  conflict,  the  example  of  the  suc- 
cessful is  a  strong  weapon  used  on  the  less  succccsful. 

The  Imitator  will  often  ask  if  you  have  sold  so  and  so. 
You  can  tell  him  that  you  have,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to 
tell  what  you  have  sold. 

The  Incredulous  Buyer. 

The  incredulous  are  strong  on  the  faculties  of  Human 
Nature,  Causality,  Comparison,  and  Secretiveness.  They 
are  generally  weak  on  Conscientiousness  and  Spirituality. 

This  buyer  will  evince  a  disbelief  of  a  salesman's  asser- 
tions by  his  manner  and  expression,  even  though  he  says 
but  little. 

When  dealing  with  this  type,  secure  comparison  for 
your  proposition  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  reserve  your 
strongest  arguments,  if  possible,  until  your  proposition 
is  being  compared. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Liars. 

Lying  is  generally  caused  by  Approbativeness  and 
Secretiveness.  Sublimity  causes  strongly  exaggerated 
lies.  When  dealing  with  this  type,  do  not  appear  to 
doubt  them,  but  run  in  some  point  of  your  argument 
where  you  can  pin  them  down,  but  do  not  show  them 
up  too  strongly.  Make  it  appear  that  you  think  that 
they  are  mistaken  in  their  opinion,  and  not  that  they 
are  lying. 


The  Mirthful  Buyer. 

The  buyer  who  has  large  mirthfulness  is  easily  pro- 
voked to  laughter,  and  by  causing  him  to  laugh  you  can 
weaken  the  strength  of  his  opposition  toward  you,  espe- 
cially if  he  is  not  strong  on  Firmness  and  if  he  has  large 
Benevolence. 

A  buyer  with  small  Firmness  can  be  persuaded  almost 
against  his  will  when  persuasion  is  mingled  with  laugh- 
ter. But  the  buyer  with  large  Firmness  and  Combative- 
ness  is  not  so  much  influenced  by  mirth.  It  is  better, 
in  fact,  to  be  serious  with  him  and  only  use  laughter  to 
induce  forgetfulness  of  some  point  opposed,  and  to 
change  the  trend  of  the  argument  into  a  channel  more 
favorable  to  yourself. 

The  Malicious  Buyer. 

Malice  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Destructiveness. 
This  buyer  will  deliberately  show  ill-will  toward  a  sales- 
man without  provocation.  He  will  take  pleasure  in 
injuring  your  feelings  without  cause.  His  malice  shows 
in  face  and  manner. 

The  salesman  should  never  appear  to  notice  the  buyer's 
maliciousness,  but  should  show  good-will  instead.  In 
this  way  you  render  his  malice  ineffectual.  When  you 
have  diverted  him  from  his  purpose,  you  can  proceed 
with  your  argument  in  a  systematic  way,  but  never  until 
you  have  him  conditioned. 

The  Methodical  Buyer. 
Method  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Order. 
This  buyer   likes  to  conduct  his  business   in  a   sys- 
—71— 


tematic  and  orderly  way.  You  can  see  it  by  his  place 
of  business.  When  he  is  buying  a  line  he  plans  his  pur- 
chases beforehand,  and  if  the  buying  is  extensive  will 
make  out  a  list  and  consult  it  while  buying,  or  have  it 
memorized.  He  tries  to  limit  his  purchases  to  his  needs, 
but  he  can  be  induced  to  buy  more  than  he  intended,  if 
tactfully  handled.  By  this  I  do  not  mean  that  a  salesman 
should  try  to  overload  him,  but  that  he  is  inclined  to 
underestimate  rather  than  overestimate  what  he  can  use. 
This  is  a  favorable  type  to  do  business  with,  for  after 
they  have  given  attention  they  are  easily  carried  along 
by  a  well  arranged  and  systematic  selling-talk,  or  showing 
of  samples. 

Tke  Optimistic  Buyer. 

Optimism  springs  from  faculties  of  Hope  and  Self- 
Esteem. 

This  buyer  will  continually  lock  at  the  brighter  side 
of  things,  even  though  they  are  not  running  smoothly 
at  the  present.  His  face  will  show  a  buoyant  spirit, 
even  though  it  is  submerged  at  the  moment. 

In  your  conversation  with  this  buyer  he  will  express 
his  opinions  of  conditions,  and  if  business  is  slow  he  will 
say  that  it  will  soon  pick  up. 

Here  is  where  the  salesman  can  use  a  little  enthusiasm, 
and  this  buyer  is  very  susceptible  to  it.  Tell  him  posi- 
tively and  convincingly  that  you  know  it  will  pick  up ; 
that  some  of  the  m.erchants  of  your  acquaintance  are  now 
taking  advantage  of  the  lethargy  prevailing  among  their 
competitors  to  acquire  the  business  that  is  to  be  gotten 
by   aggressively  going   after   it ;    that  they  are   having 

—72— 


sales,  employing  new  methods,  showing  new  goods ;  that 
they  are  advertising,  and  giving  away  premiums;  that 
they  are  creating  interest  for  themselves  and  drawing 
attention  from  their  competitors,  and  that  they  are  taking 
away  their  competitors'  customers. 

If  your  voice  and  manner  is  sincere  and  convincing 
you  cannot  fail  to  arouse  enthusiasm  in  your  man,  and 
when  you  show  him  that  your  proposition  v;ill  help  him 
his  consent  of  will  is  easily  gained. 

The  Pessimistic  Buyer. 

The  pessimist  is  weak  on  Hope  and  Spirituality,  and 
strong  on  Cautiousness,  Approbativeness,  and  Secretive- 
ness.  This  type  is  generally  in  a  state  of  depression  and 
his  face  expresses  discouragement. 

At  first  you  must  fall  into  sympathy  with  this  type 
and  get  him  to  unburden  his  woes.  He  will  tell  you 
that  times  are  bad ;  that  competition  is  too  keen,  and 
that  prospects  are  poor. 

Then  you  can  agree  with  him  in  that  competition  is 
too  keen ;  that  some  merchants  are  too  aggressive ;  that 
they  are  having  too  many  sales,  and  doing  too  much 
advertising.  Then  change  your  tactics  and  tell  him  how 
you  helped  a  friend  of  yours  in  another  town  take 
advantage  of  the  aggressiveness  of  his  competitors. 
Tell  him  that  your  friend  is  a  conservative  man  and  does 
not  like  to  spend  too  much  money  in  creating  interest 
in  his  store,  for  he  feels  that  it  takes  away  too  much  of 
the  profits. 

Tell  him  that  at  the  time  you  called  on  your  friend  his 

—73— 


competitors  were  forcing  business  most  aggressively,  and 
that  your  friend  was  deploring  the  great  waste  involved 
in  the  methods  employed. 

Tell  him  that  you  conceived  the  idea  of  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  interest  that  brought  the  people  out  on  the 
street  and  that  you  suggested  to  him  the  advisability  of 
starting  a  little  sale  that  would  catch  the  people  as  they 
passed  along. 

Tell  him  that  you  had  some  new  things  that  were  very 
attractive  and  so  reasonable  in  price  that  they  would 
show  a  good  profit  and  still  be  bargains. 

Tell  him  that  these  things  were  ordered  for  the  mer- 
chant and  when  he  received  them  he  dressed  up  his 
windows  and  put  out  a  sign.  Tell  him  that  the  next 
time  you  called  the  merchant  was  highly  gratified  at  the 
success  of  his  sale. 

Now  turn  the  merchant's  attention  upon  himself. 

Tell  him  that  you  have  some  things  that  will  surely 
attract  business  if  well  displayed.  Describe  them  in  such 
an  enthusiastic  way  that  he  will  want  to  see  them,  and 
you  will  then  have  a  favorable  start. 

Of  course  a  salesman  cannot  conscientiously  use  this 
self-same  story  if  it  is  not  in  his  experience.  This  illus- 
tration is  merely  to  show  you  the  line  of  attack  to  adopt. 
A  salesman  who  has  ingenuity  and  resourcefulness  can 
easily  draw  the  material  from  his  own  experience. 

Remember  that  this  buyer  is  in  an  inhibited  condition 
and  that  you  must  accelerate  the  action  of  his  heart. 

Interest  will  do  so. 

—74— 


The  Suave  Buyer. 

Suavity  comes  from  the  faculty  of  Agreeableness. 

This  is  the  buyer  who  turns  a  salesman  down  so 
pleasantly  and  in  such  an  agreeable  manner  that  the  un- 
sophisticated salesman  feels  that  it  has  been  a  pleasure 
to  call  on  such  a  merchant.  He  does  not  realize  that  it 
is  only  this  man's  way  of  getting  rid  of  a  salesman. 

After  a  salesman  has  learned  where  Agreeableness 
is  located,  and  has  noticed  the  facial  expression  that 
accompanies  it,  he  can  tell  by  a  glance  at  the  face  that 
he  has  suavity  to  deal  with. 

When  dealing  with  this  type  you  should  use  suavity, 
and  use  it  first.  Do  not  give  him  a  chance  to  use  his 
suavity  until  you  are  well  launched  into  your  argument. 
If  he  attempts  to  interrupt  you,  slightly  raise  your  hand 
and  ask  him  to  kindly  let  you  finish.  When  he  sees  that 
he  cannot  overcome  you  with  his  suavity  he  will  give 
you  attention. 

The  Open-Minded  Buyer. 

This  buyer  is  a  man  of  pretty  well  balanced  faculties. 
He  does  not  pretend  or  think  that  he  knows  it  all,  but 
is  open  to  conviction.  His  face  and  manner  are  pleasant 
and  show  that  he  is  impressible  to  reason. 

When  dealing  with  this  type,  use  an  even  voice  and 
manner.  Invite  discussion,  but  lead  the  discussion  along 
the  line  of  your  argument  so  that  you  will  be  in  perfect 
control.  When  you  have  caused  him  to  make  enough 
admissions  to  show  that  he  is  well  impressed,  finish  up 

^75— 


your    argument,    using    a    little     sincere    but    careful 
emphasis. 

The  Taciturn  Buyer. 

The  taciturn  buyer  is  strong  on  Secretiveness.  He  is 
a  man  who  is  habitually  silent.  He  does  not  like  to  be 
asked  questions.    His  manner  is  reserved. 

When  dealing  with  this  type  come  right  to  the  point. 
State  your  proposition  in  a  quiet  voice  and  even  manner. 
Your  argument  should  be  so  well  arranged,  and  the 
selling  points  so  well  brought  out  that  he  cannot  fail  to 
be  impressed.  This,  coupled  with  your  quiet  manner, 
will  induce  him  to  discuss  your  proposition.  Conduct 
the  discussion  in  a  quiet  way  and  lead  it  along  the  line 
of  your  argument.  Press  any  advantage  in  a  quiet  but 
positive  manner. 

The  Suspicious  Buyer. 

This  buyer  is  strong  on  Secretiveness,  Cautiousness, 
and  Acquisitiveness.  He  will  show  his  suspiciousness  in 
his  manner. 

The  salesman  must  be  perfectly  open  and  straight- 
forward in  his  manner  toward  this  buyer.  He  should 
present  his  argument  positively,  but  not  antagonistically. 
He  should  invite  comparison  and  when  pointing  out  the 
superiority  of  his  article  should  refrain  from  evincing 
any  satisfaction  that  he  may  feel,  but  should  take  it  as 
a  matter  of  course.  He  should  quickly  follow  up  his 
advantage  by  further  argument  and  make  the  buyer  for- 
get the  attack  on  his  Approbativeness,  for  you  have 
shown  up  his  poor  judgment. 

—76— 


Only  by  being  thoroughly  honest  in  your  manner,  and 
by  burying  your  personality  in  your  argument  can  you 
persuade  this  buyer. 

The  Buyer  Who  Is  a  Plunger. 

The  plunger  has  large  Calculation,  Acquisitiveness, 
Hope,  and  Destructiveness.     Cautiousness  is  moderate. 

The  plunger  can  be  told  at  a  glance.  He  is  thick  in 
the  side  head  and  especially  at  the  corners  of  the  eyes. 
He  will  be  full  in  the  head  at  this  point.  Narrow-headed 
buyers  are  never  plungers.  They  get  heart  failure  at 
the  mention  of  quantity.  Some  of  the  narrow-headed 
are  in  a  position  where  they  buy  large  quantities,  but 
their  buying  is  not  plunging. 

Talk  quantity  to  the  plunger.  The  greater  the  quan- 
tity the  more  you  will  interest  him.  He  will  then  want 
price.  If  you  talk  quantity  you  must  be  prepared  to  give 
price. 

The  Over-Cautious  Buyer. 

This  buyer  has  large  Cautiousness.  His  faculties  of 
Firmness,  Combativeness  and  Destructiveness  are  mod- 
erate or  are  weakened  by  disuse.  •  He  has  allowed 
Cautiousness  to  rule  the  other  faculties  too  long.  He 
will  be  undecided  and  hesitating  in  his  manner,  and  will 
be  inclined  to  put  things  off.  Do  not  be  aggressive  with 
this  buyer  at  first,  but  take  him  easy.  You  can  gain  his 
attention  by  sincerely  and  positively  stating  what  you 
can  do  for  him,  or  what  advantage  or  benefit  he  will 
derive  from  dealing  with  you.     His  Cautiousness  will 

—77^ 


incline  him  to  investigate  your  proposition  if  you  have 
impressed  him. 

When  you  are  going  over  your  proposition  carefully, 
note  his  face  without  any  interrogation  or  watchfulness 
in  your  look.  When  you  see  that  you  have  him  strongly 
impressed,  and  you  come  to  the  point  of  consent  of  will, 
and  he  wishes  to  put  you  ofif,  suddenly  change  your 
manner  to  excitement  and  in  strong  and  positive  voice 
express  your  reasons  against  procrastination. 

Your  sudden  change  will  surprise  him,  his  mind  will 
be  sensitized,  and  your  ideas  will  have  powerful  effect. 
If  you  do  not  gain  consent  of  will,  you  may  be  sure  that 
your  voice  and  manner  were  not  strong  enough  nor 
convincing. 

Buyers  Who  Are  Observers. 

The  experienced  salesman  will  no  doubt  remember 
that  many  of  his  buyers  have  been  very  quick  to  perceive 
and  grasp  the  details  of  a  thing  at  first  sight,  while  others 
required  some  time  to  think  it  over. 

The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  one  of  quick  perception 
was  endowed  with  strong  perceptive  faculties  and  the 
slow  one  was  weak  on  these  faculties. 

Buyers  who  are  observers  have  large  Individuality. 
Add  to  this  large  Size,  Form,  Color,  Order,  and  Cal- 
culation, and  you  have  one  who  can  distinguish  even 
slight  diflferences  almost  at  a  glance.  This  type  is  quickly 
recognized  by  the  prominence  over  the  nose  and  eves. 
When  one  of  this  type  has  a  forehead  that  slopes  back- 
ward, he  will  be  a  man  who  judges  quickly,  if  not  cor- 

—78— 


rectly.  This  is  due  to  small  Causality  and  Comparison. 
Do  not  dwell  on  details  that  are  apparent  to  the  eye  when 
dealing  with  this  type,  for  he  will  interrupt  you  or  pay 
little  attention  to  what  you  are  saying.  He  has  already 
seen  these  details  and  should  be  guided  through  the 
essentials  not  perceptible  to  the  eye. 
This  type  is  the  opposite  of  the  thinker,  which  follows : 

Buyers  Who  Are  Thinkers. 

The  reflective  faculties  are  Causality  and  Comparison, 
and  it  is  these  two  that  make  the  thinker. 

A  buyer  with  the  reflective  faculties  large  and  the 
perceptive  faculties  small,  must  be  pointed  out  the  details 
of  a  thing,  for  he  is  not  quick  to  see  them,  and  must 
think  and  reason  them  out. 

When  dealing  with  this  type,  a  salesman  should  care- 
fully explain  the  details  of  his  proposition,  and  sys- 
tematically guide  his  mind  from  point  to  point,  giving 
him  ample  time  to  think  as  he  goes  along.  Never  use 
rapid  speech  with  this  type,  but  talk  in  a  low  and  delib- 
erate tone.  A  buyer  with  both  the  perceptive  and  reflec- 
tive faculties  large  is  quick  of  perception  and  a  rapid 
thinker,  unless  an  intricate  point  is  in  question. 


—79— 


THE  REASONING  USED  IN  A  SALES 
ARGUMENT. 

In  the  presentation  of  a  selling  argument  a  salesman 
uses  sound  common  sense  expressed  in  language  that 
fully  and  clearly  brings  out  the  ideas  he  wishes  to  impress 
upon  the  buyer. 

The  salesman  need  not  be  a  logician  to  reason  soundly. 
He  need  not  be  a  grammarian  to  speak  correctly,  nor 
need  he  be  a  rhetorician  to  speak  effectively. 

There  are  two  methods  of  reasoning — the  Inductive 
and  the  Deductive.  The  process  of  reasoning  is  the 
same  in  both.  The  difference  lies  in  the  source  of 
the  knowledge ;  that  is,  in  the  knowledge  from  which 
we  start  to  reason. 

All  our  reasoning  springs  from  two  sources.  It 
springs  either  from  what  we  know  by  actual  experience 
and  observation,  or  from  authority. 

To  reason  from  experience  is  to  use  knowledge  that 
is  gained  by  actual  contact  with  the  thing  reasoned  of, 
and  the  impressions  that  create  this  knowledge  come 
through  the  senses. 

But  to  reason  from  authority  is  to  use  knowledge  or 
opinions  that  come  from  words  either  verbal  or  written. 


This  comes  through  the  senses  of  sight  and  hearing  also, 
but  it  does  not  come  from  actual  contact  with  the  things 
reasoned  of. 

Inductive  reasoning  is  the  reasoning  from  experience 
and  observation. 

Deductive  reasoning  is  the  reasoning  from  authority 
that  is  founded  on  accepted  facts,  or  is  an  argument  that 
springs  from  opinion,  or  supposition. 

We  never  feel  certain  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  con- 
clusion of  an  argument  unless  we  derive  the  truth  of  the 
conclusion  from  experience. 

Also,  we  cannot  always  furnish  enough  evidence  from 
experience  and  observation  to  warrant  the  forming  of 
a  convincing  conclusion,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to 
draw  enough  argument  from  further  facts  not  directly 
connected  with  the  proposition,  or  from  opinions  or  sup- 
positions, that  will  enable  us  to  form  a  reasonable 
conclusion. 

A  salesman  must  use  Induction  and  Deduction 
together  when  he  is  presenting  his  sales  argument. 

These  two  methods  have  different  ways  of  expression 
and  are  as  follows: 

Reasoning  by  Syllogisms.  A  Syllogism  is  a  fully 
expressed  form  of  an  Inductive  or  Deductive  inference. 
That  is,  everything  connected  with  the  reasoning  is  set 
forth  explicitly.  It  is  not  necessary  to  directly  state 
everything.    Much  can  be  implied. 

The  salesman  uses  this  form  of  reasoning  when  he 
demonstrates  or  proves  a  point  as  he  goes  along.  The 
entire   sales    argument    should   be   in   the    form   of   a- 

—81— 


syllogism.  That  is,  the  syllogising  or  reasoning  together 
of  the  separately  assumed  or  admitted  parts  should  main- 
tain consistency  and  tend  to  the  one  conclusion  that  the 
salesman  wishes  to  arrive  at. 

Reasoning  by  Analysis.  This  is  the  separating  of  the 
proposition  into  its  essential  parts. 

Before  a  salesman  can  thoroughly  and  intelligently 
elucidate  his  proposition  to  a  buyer,  he  must  first  have 
thoroughly  analyzed  the  proposition  himself,  and  have 
duly  considered  each  part  separately,  drawing  out  the 
important  and  rejecting  the  unimportant.  The  important 
parts  constitute  the  selling  points.  Thorough  knowledge 
of  a  proposition  is  essential  in  building  a  sales  argument. 

Synthesis  is  the  opposite  of  Analysis.  It  is  the  com- 
bining of  the  different  parts  after  analysis. 

Synthetical  reasoning  is  the  proceeding  by  a  regular 
chain  from  point  to  point,  as  they  are  established,  until 
the  conclusion  is  arrived  at.  It  systematically  arranges 
the  points  so  that  each  one  sustains  or  strengthens  those 
preceding  it.  It  inducts  the  proposition  into  the  mind 
of  the  buyer  so  that  he  sees  it  exactly  as  the  salesman 
does. 

In  synthesis  lies  the  power  to  persuade. 

Reasoning  by  Conversion.  This  is  the  changing  of  the 
subject  of  a  proposition  into  the  place  of  the  predicate. 
Every  proposition  has  a  subject  and  a  predicate.  The 
subject  is  the  thing  that  is  being  sold.  The  predicate 
is  that  which  can  be  affirmed  or  denied  of  the  subject. 
Where  a  buyer  is  familiar  with  the  subject  of  a  propo- 
sition it  is  already  established,  or  is  thought  to  be,  and 

^82— 


the  salesman  reverts  to  the  predicate ;  that  is,  he  affirms 
the  desirability  or  advantage  of  his  subject,  and  removes 
objections  and  denials.  In  this  way  he  works  back  to  his 
subject  and  establishes  it  as  he  wants  it  to  be. 

Where  the  buyer  is  unfamiliar  with  the  subject  of  a 
proposition,  the  subject  must  be  thoroughly  explained 
and  its  use  or  purpose  made  clear. 

Reasoning  by  Opposition.  This  is  where  a  buyer  op- 
poses another  proposition  against  the  one  the  salesman 
is  selling.  That  is,  the  two  propositions  have  the  same 
subject  and  predicate,  but  they  differ  in  quantity,  quality, 
or  both. 

Reasoning  by  Comparison  is  the  bringing  together  of 
things,  either  in  the  mind  or  in  the  actual,  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  their  likeness  or  difference. 

Reasoning  by  Contrast  is  the  setting  in  opposition  of 
different  things  to  show  the  superior  excellence  of  one 
to  advantage. 

Reasoning  by  Analogy  is  the  deducing  of  inferences 
from  some  agreement  or  relation  which  things  bear  to 
each  other. 

Reasoning  by  Example  is  an  induction  of  what  may 
happen  from  what  has  happened. 

For  instance,  if  one  merchant  has  made  a  success  of  a 
thing,  it  may  be  inferred  that  another  merchant  in  like 
circumstances  can  do  so. 

Hypothetical  and  Categorical  Propositions.  Hypotheti- 
cal reasoning  is  based  upon  a  supposition.  Categorical 
propositions  are  positive  and  absolute. 

There  is  this  to  be  said  for  hypothetical  reasoning: 


If  a  buyer  Avili  allow  a  salesman  to  base  an  argument 
on  a  supposition  the  salesman  can  reason  to  the  heavens 
and  back  again,  and  so  word  his  argument  that  the  buyer 
cannot  directly  oppose  him.  But  there  is  this  to  be 
said  against  hypothetical  reasoning:  Some  buyers,  as 
soon  as  they  hear  the  word  "suppose,"  fly  up  in  the  air 
and  yell,  "Suppose  nothing!"  It  is  therefore  best  that 
the  salesman  omit  the  word  "suppose"  from  his  argu- 
ment except  in  some  cases  where  it  is  necessary  to  be 
negative. 

It  probably  never  occurred  to  the  salesman  that  every 
time  he  opens  his  mouth  to  speak  he  is  reasoning  in  one 
form  or  another ;  either  by  direct  or  indirect  argument, 
or  by  suggestion  that  implies  an  act  of  reasoning?  Yet 
this  is  so,  and  it  must  therefore  be  apparent  to  one  that 
the  cultivation  of  logical  reasoning  is  indispensable  to 
successful  salesmanship. 

A  man's  mental  calibre  is  instantly  revealed  by  the 
manner  and  correctness  of  his  reasoning.  If  his  reason- 
ing is  at  fault,  he  cannot  hope  to  impress  those  who  are 
experienced  and  well  informed. 

Correct  reasoning  springs  from  sound  judgment,  and 
sound  judgment  must  have  knowledge  as  its  basis.  Judg- 
ment is  supposed  to  supply  want  of  certain  knowledge, 
but  it  requires  other  knowledge  to  supply  this  deficiency. 


THE  FOUR  STYLES  OF  PRESENTING  A 
SALES  ARGUMENT. 

The  Assertional  or  Declarative  style  is  the  advancing 
of  a  proposition  by  assertions  and  explanations. 

This  is  the  winning  style,  but  its  efficacy  depends  upon 
the  voice  and  manner  of  the  salesman. 

The  Imperative  style  conveys  command,  advice,  and 
exhortation. 

The  command  should  lie  in  suggestion.  Use  advice 
conditionally.  Use  exhortation  only  w^hen  driven  to 
extremes. 

The  Interrogative  style  is  the  asking  of  questions. 
Questions  should  rather  be  used  to  elicit  opposition  that 
you  can  overcome  rather  than  as  an  influencing  agent, 
except  in  such  cases  as  were  shown  in  the  handling  of 
the  buyers. 

Where  a  buyer  honestly  concedes  a  point  he  is  influ- 
enced by  it,  but  where  a  buyer  dishonestly  concedes  a 
point  the  salesman  is  misled,  and  the  buyer  is  not 
influenced. 

Questions  also  suggest  secretiveness  and  will  often 
tend  to  weaken  the  advantage  a  salesman  hcis  already 


gained,  especially  if  there  is  any  doubt  remaining  ni  the 
mind  of  the  buyer. 

Questions  also  suggest  contention,  and  where  this  has 
not  been  the  purpose  of  the  salesman  he  will  often  be 
obliged  to  overcome  objections  that  could  have  been 
avoided. 

By  carefully  studying  the  different  types  of  buyers  that 
we  have  dealt  with  you  will  know  when  and  how  to  use 
questions. 

The  Conversational  style  is  a  quiet  discussion  of  a 
proposition  and  is  generally  used  when  dealing  with 
friends  and  equals.  When  using  this  style  the  salesman 
should  always  lead  the  conversation  along  the  line  of  his 
argument. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  it  was  stated  that  the 
Assertional  or  Declarative  style  is  the  winning  style  of 
presenting  a  sales  argument.  This  is  particularly  so 
when  delivered  in  a  matter-of-fact  voice.  When  this 
tone  of  voice  is  used,  it  often  borders  on,  or  descends  to, 
the  conversational  style.  The  salesman  should  be  warned 
that  while  the  Conversational  style  is  calculated  to  place 
the  buyer  and  salesman  on  terms  of  equality,  and  is  the 
basis  of  heart-to-heart  talks,  this  style  is  displeasing  to 
some  men,  especially  if  one  is  a  stranger.  Should  a  sales- 
man happen  to  make  this  mistake,  he  can  quickly  remedy 
it  by  reverting  to  the  Interrogative  style. 

In  the  chapter  on  building  the  sales  argument  is  given 
a  selling  talk  delivered  in  the  Declarative  style.  It  will 
be  found  worthy  of  careful  study. 


FIVE  RULES  FOR   CONTROLLING  THE 
SALES  ARGUMENT 

In  order  to  have  perfect  control  of  the  argument  from 
beginning  to  end,  the  salesman  must  be  prepared  to 
overcome  or  prevent  the  following  ideas  or  opinions  that 
may  be  in  the  buyer's  mind  or  may  occur  there. 

The  first  is  a  preconceived  opinion  of  your  proposition 
that  is  erroneous.    It  may  amount  to  prejudice. 

A  salesman  must  therefore  consider  everything  con- 
cerning his  proposition  that  is  likely  to  create  prejudice 
where  it  is  not  understood,  and  be  prepared  with  con- 
vincing arguments  that  will  prove  to  the  buyer  that  he 
is  wrong. 

The  second  is  to  compel  close  observation  of  your 
proposition. 

A  buyer  that  has  a  preconceived  opinion  that  is  opposed 
to  your  proposition  will  not  observe  closely,  or  if  he  does 
he  will  wish  to  find  that  he  is  right,  rather  than  wrong, 
in  his  opinion. 

You  must  compel  close  attention  and  bring  out  every- 
thing in  your  proposition  so  fully  and  clearly  that  he 
cannot  evade  a  fair  judgment. 

—87— 


Then  again  a  buyer  who  is  not  prejudiced  may  be  mis- 
taken in  his  perceptions  by  not  having  observed  closely. 
He  is  apt  to  draw  a  rapid  inference  that  is  prejudicial 
to  your  proposition.  You  must  therefore  compel  close 
attention  and  bring  out  everything  clearly. 

The  third  is  where  a  buyer  will  assert  that  your  propo- 
sition is  impossible,  or  express  strong  doubt  to  that 
effect. 

You  must  know  what  there  is  about  your  proposition 
that  will  cause  him  to  make  this  assertion,  and  be  ready 
to  explain  it  away  and  satisfy  him  that  your  proposition 
is  not  impossible. 

The  fourth  is  to  anticipate  arguments  that  will  occur 
during  an  interview  and  explain  them  away  before  the 
buyer  advances  them,  unless  you  have  a  purpose  in  letting 
or  causing  him  to  do  so. 

By  this  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  anticipate  petty 
arguments  or  non-essentials,  but  those  points  upon  which 
the  sale  will  hinge.  In  a  selling  argument  that  follows 
you  will  see  how  this  is  done. 

The  fifth  is  to  avoid  confusion. 

If  a  salesman  scatters  his  arguments,  or  uses  words  or 
expressions  that  are  ambiguous,  they  will  create  con- 
fusion and  the  buyer  is  likely  to  draw  erroneous  infer- 
ences. 

Present  your  arguments  coherently,  and  in  language 
that  fully  express  your  ideas  and  leaves  no  doubt  of  their 
meaning. 


—88— 


BUILDING  THE  SALES  ARGUMENT. 

The  building  of  a  sales  argument  is  the  arranging  of 
the  selling  points  and  auxiliary  ideas  in  their  proper  order 
so  that  all  unite  to  form  a  conclusion. 

To  illustrate :  The  following  lines  are  selling  points 
and  must  be  arranged  in  their  proper  order : 

And  wouldn't  it  be  wiser 
Will  it  make  it  any  easier 
Suppose  your  task,  my  little  man 
Than  waiting  like  a  dunce 
And  learn  the  thing  at  once 
Is  very  hard  to  get 
To  go  to  work  in  earnest 
For  you  to  sit  and  fret. 

These  lines  mean  very  little  as  they  stand,  but  after 
arrangement  they  bring  out  a  logical  conclusion : 

Suppose  your  task,  my  little  man, 

Is  very  hard  to  get; 
Will  it  make  it  any  easier 

For  you  to  sit  and  fret? 
And  wouldn't  it  be  wiser 

Than  sitting  like  a  dunce 

—89— 


To  go  to  work  in  earnest 

And  learn  the  thing  at  once? 

— Phoebe  Cary. 

There  are  three  elements  that  enter  into  the  building  of 
a  sales  argument,  and  are  as  follows : 

First.     The  proposition,  goods,  or  thing  to  be  sold. 

Second.     Conditions. 

Third.     The  workings  of  the  buyer's  mind. 

The  proposition  must  be  established  by  bringing  out 
the  cause  of,  or  reason  for,  its  existence ;  its  use  or  pur- 
pose; its  qualities  that  make  it  desirable;  and  its  con- 
nection with  the  buyer. 

Conditions  are  general  or  particular.  Of  the  general 
conditions,  hard  times  and  dullness  of  business  are  the 
most  common. 

I  have  always  worked  with  the  idea  in  mind  that,  no 
matter  how  hard  times  are,  or  how  dull  they  are,  there 
are  always  some  goods  being  sold,  and  that  the  salesman 
Yv'ho  will  awaken  his  ingenuity  and  apply  his  resource- 
fulness can  get  some  of  that  business. 

During  the  late  panic  the  writer  was  employed  in  the 
selling  of  ladies'  silk  waists. 

At  one  time  business  was  brought  to  such  a  point  that 
it  had  to  be  forced.  I  went  to  the  buyer  of  one  of  the 
largest  department  stores  in  Chicago  and  offered  to  sell 
him  one  thousand  waists  of  a  particular  style  and  color  at 
a  certain  price.  He  immediately  set  up  a  howl  that  he 
was  not  in  the  wholesale  business, 

I  replied  that  I  knew  he  was  not  but  that  he  could 

—90— 


easily  sell  one  thousand  waists  by  placing  them  on  sale 
and  advertising  them ;  and  that  it  only  involved  an  outlay 
of  two  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

He  finally  calmed  down  and  asked  me  what  price  I 
would  sell  the  waists  at  if  he  would  buy  one  hundred. 
I  raised  the  price  reasonably  and  secured  his  order. 
The  quantity  was  twice  what  he  would  have  bought 
ordinarily. 

A  little  later  I  went  back  for  a  re-order  and  was  told 
that  he  did  not  think  he  wanted  any  more,  because  he 
could  not  use  the  quantity. 

I  quietly  told  him  that  at  the  time  I  sold  him  the  others 
I  was  obliged  to  force  business,  but  now  things  were 
running  smoothly  and  he  could  get  his  own  quantity. 

When  I  told  him  this  he  gave  a  start  and  had  a  strong 
impulse  to  anger,  but  he  did  not  give  vent  to  it.  I  knew 
my  man. 

Instead,  he  gave  me  an  order  for  the  regular  quantity. 

A  little  later  I  received  an  order  for  one  hundred  more 
of  the  same  waists  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  more  of 
different  styles. 

To  another  buyer  I  went  to  close  out  some  waists  that 
we  had  on  hand.  Before  seeing  the  buyer  I  went  to 
the  department  and  looked  over  the  waists  lying  on  the 
counter.  I  saw  a  waist  that  I  liked  particularly  well  and 
asked  the  saleslady  if  that  style  was  selling.  She  replied 
in  the  affirmative. 

I  then  went  to  the  buyer  and  succeeded  in  selling  the 
waists  to  be  closed  out.  After  the  sale  was  made  I  told 
the  buyer  that  I  had  seen  a  waist  on  the  counter  that 

r-91— 


I  would  like  to  make.  The  buyer  asked  me  which  it  was 
and  I  went  to  the  counter  and  brought  the  waist  to  the 
buyer.  I  was  given  permission  to  make  a  sample  and 
when  I  submitted  it  to  the  buyer  was  immediately  given 
an  order  for  seventy-five  waists. 

Through  confidence  and  by  keeping  in  touch  with  this 
buyer  I  secured  a  very  nice  business  through  the  worst 
time  of  the  panic. 

Another  buyer  I  influenced  by  the  argument  of  what 
I  was  doing  with  other  houses.  I  pointed  out  that  as  I 
was  getting  good  business  from  other  buyers  right  in  the 
face  of  hard  times  I  must  certainly  be  in  a  position  to 
interest  this  buyer. 

The  buyer  looked  over  my  samples  and  selected  a  few 
styles.  I  was  told  to  come  back  the  next  day  for  the 
order.  When  I  came  for  the  order  the  buyer  was  not 
ready. 

Waiting  until  the  following  day  I  called  up  the  buyer 
on  the  'phone  and  stated  that  I  must  have  immediate 
action  on  the  samples  as  the  buyer  across  the  street 
wanted  them,  but  not  if  this  buyer  had  them. 

I  was  told  that  what  the  buyer  across  the  street  wanted 
to  do  did  not  concern  this  buyer,  but  that  I  should  expect 
a  telephone  call  within  an  hour.  The  telephone  call  came 
and  I  was  told  to  come  and  get  the  order. 

By  keeping  in  touch  with  this  buyer  I  was  able  to  get 
much  business  that  would  otherwise  have  gone  to  some- 
one else. 

There  was  another  condition  that  I  overcame  at  this 
time  and  that  was  bad  health ;   in  fact,  I  was  very  ill  for 

—92— 


some  time.  But  by  a  supreme  effort  of  the  will  I  forced 
myself  to  work  three  or  four  hours  a  week  and  in  these 
few  hours  secured  enough  business  to  keep  the  factory 
busy. 

The  salesman  who  will  not  allow  conditions  to  over- 
come him  can  overcome  conditions. 

Particular  conditions  lie  in  the  peculiarities  of  a  line 
or  in  the  dealers  who  buy  the  line.  Everything  being 
sold  has  peculiar  conditions  that  must  be  overcome 
before  a  sale  can  be  made. 

These  conditions  are  so  many,  and  so  varied,  that  I  will 
not  attempt  to  describe  them  here,  but  I  will  show  in  a 
selling  talk  that  follows  how  I  overcame  conditions 
opposed  to  a  specialty  I  was  engaged  in  selling. 

We  will  now  see  how  the  buyer's  mind  works  and  why 
the  sales  argument  must  be  framed  accordingly.  The 
salesman  must  remember  that  he  must  have  consent  of 
will  from  the  moment  that  he  gains  attention  to  the  clos- 
ing of  the  sale.  There  is  but  one  thing  that  will  gain 
consent  of  will  and  hold  it  and  that  is  a  motive.  This 
motive  must  run  all  through  the  transaction.  The  will  is 
a  whole  and  cannot  be  divided,  but  it  has  different  phases, 
which  are  as  follows : 

Motive.  This  is  the  feeling  that  prompts  the  will  in 
any  one  case. 

Deliberation.     This  supposes  conflicting  motives. 

Resolution.  This  is  a  volition,  or  willing  with  the 
act  deferred. 

Desire.  This  feeling  prepares  the  mind  to  give  final 
consent  of  will. 

—93— 


Belief.  This  is  the  last  phase,  and  is  preparedness 
to  act. 

We  will  see  how  this  works  out. 

The  salesman  makes  his  approach  and  introduces  him- 
self. The  introduction  should  consist  of  stating  the  firm 
that  the  salesman  is  representing  and  what  their  business 
is.  If  the  salesman  tenders  a  card,  his  name  should  be 
thereon.  The  handshake  should  only  be  used  with  equals 
or  where  you  see  that  sympathy  exists. 

So  far  you  have  given  the  buyer  no  motive  to  listen  to 
you  except  that  of  simple  courtesy,  so  you  must  give  him 
a  real  motive.  This  you  do  by  stating  the  nature  of  your 
business.  In  many  cases  a  buyer  Vv-ill  abruptly  say  that 
he  is  not  interested.  It  is  here  necessary  to  tell  you  that 
there  are  two  kinds  of  will — the  Evocative  and  the 
Directive. 

When  the  will  is  Evocative  it  is  dormant  and  needs 
calling  forth.  When  it  is  Directive  it  is  in  action.  If 
it  is  Directive  and  in  sympathy  with  you  it  only  requires 
sustaining.  If  it  is  directed  against  you  it  must  be 
reversed.  There  is  but  one  way  to  reverse  the  will,  and 
that  is  by  inhibition.  You  already  know  how  to  use 
inhibition.  When  the  motive  is  broached  and  the  buyer 
has  given  you  attention,  the  next  step  is  to  state  some- 
thing regarding  your  proposition  that  will  create  a  favor- 
able opinion  of  it.  A  buyer's  opinions  are  influenced  by 
his  self-interest,  his  inclinations,  and  his  passions. 

Self-interest  affects  the  faculty  of  Acquisitiveness. 

From  the  purely  commercial  side  the  following  facul- 
ties are  influenced  by  inclination  or  passion : 


Locality,  Imitalion,  Ideality,  Constructivcness,  Calcu- 
lation, and  Order. 

Locality.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or  a  pas- 
sion for  buying  his  goods  from  some  particular  market, 
lie  is  influenced  by  price,  quick  delivery,  express  or 
freight  rates,  or  he  may  simply  have  a  biased  feeling 
in  favor  of  the  market,  that  springs  from  no  particular 
reason. 

Have  your  talk  prepared  on  tb.ese  points,  either  for 
or  against. 

Imitation.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or  passion 
for  following  the  example  of  others.  He  is  influenced  by 
what  others  do. 

Ideality.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or  passion 
for  things  that  are  beautiful  and  refined.  He  is  influ- 
enced by  the  artistic  appearance  or  superior  excellence 
of  a  thing. 

Constructivcness.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or 
passion  for  inquiring  into  the  construction  of  things.  He 
likes  to  see  how  they  are  made.  He  is  influenced  by  any 
peculiarity  of  construction. 

Calculation.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or 
passion  for  buying  large  quantities  of  things.  He  is 
influenced  by  quantity  and  price. 

Order.  A  buyer  may  have  an  inclination  or  passion 
for  conducting  his  business  in  an  orderly  manner.  Things 
pertaining  to  system  influence  this  buyer.  The  salesman 
must  analyze  his  proposition  and  have  his  arguments  on 
these  points  framed  ready  for  instant  use.  When  the 
salesman  determines  on  the  use  of  these  points,  he  sizes 

—95— 


up  the  buyer  s  place  of  business  before  his  approach,  and 
looks  for  the  faculties  when  he  introduces  himself.  The 
faculties  are  seen  at  a  glance  as  they  are  all  in  the  front 
part  of  the  head. 

When  the  salesman  makes  his  statement  regarding  one 
or  more  of  these  points  it  starts  the  buyer's  faculties  of 
Causality  and  Comparison  to  work  and  Deliberation  sets 
in.  To  prevent  the  buyer  from  forming  any  wrong  con- 
clusion the  salesman  does  not  leave  the  deliberation  to 
the  buyer  but  argues  so  convincingly  for  his  proposition 
that  the  next  phase  sets  in,  which  is  Resolution,  That  is 
the  buyer  resolves  to  go  farther  into  the  matter.  An 
element  of  desire  has  been  created.  He  may  have  formed 
a  resolution  that  if  the  thing  is  as  the  salesman  represents 
it  to  be  he  wants  it  or  can  use  it. 

If  the  salesman  has  not  been  convincing  aversion  sets 
in  and  the  belief  that  he  does  not  want  the  thing  follows. 
The  initial  desire  must  now  be  augmented  into  a  wish 
or  longing. 

Here  some  of  the  following  faculties  are  brought  into 
play  in  addition  to  any  used  of  those  already  mentioned. 
They  may  have  been  used  during  Deliberation,  but  here 
they  are  brought  out  more  strongly.  Individuality, 
Form,  Size,  Weight,  Color,  Tune,  Tijuc,  Eventuality, 
and  Language. 

From  a  purely  commercial  standpoint  the  faculties 
that  come  under  the  head  of  deliberation  are  tlwse  which 
buy  to  sell  again.  The  perceptive  faculties  just  named 
are  those  which  help  to  pass  upon  a  thing's  desirability. 
But  the  faculties  which  buy  to  sell  again  must  consider 

—96— 


a  thin^  from  the  consumer's  point  of  view.    This  brings 
one  or  more  of  other  faculties  into  play. 

For  instance,  Approbativeness  will  buy  fine  clothes. 
Alimentiveness  buys  things  to  eat  and  drink.  Destructive- 
ness  will  buy  a  gun.  Secretiveness  will  buy  a  desk  with 
secret  drawers  in  it.  Inhabitiveness  will  buy  a  home. 
Parental  Love  will  buy  things  for  children.  In  fact  every 
one  of  the  forty-two  faculties  buy,  or  help  to  buy,  some- 
thing. Some  of  the  faculties  will  work  for  a  salesman, 
others  against  him.  When  a  faculty  is  working  against 
a  salesman  it  has  too  much  blood  in  it.  The  idea  in  the 
faculty  must  be  inhibited. 

As  was  stated  in  the  fore  part  of  the  book  a  salesman 
can  play  upon  a  certain  number  of  the  senses.  He  must 
consider  how  his  proposition  will  affect  the  senses; 
whether  the  effect  will  be  pleasing,  indifferent,  or  dis- 
pleasing. If  the  effect  is  pleasing  it  should  be  augmented. 
If  the  effect  is  indifferent,  or  displeasing,  there  is  a 
reason  for  it,  and  it  is  generally  based  upon  necessity. 
Remember  this :  That  any  opinion  a  buyer  may  have  that 
is  favorable  or  unfavorable  toward  you  can  be  either 
augmented  or  inhibited  through  the  sense  of  hearing  by 
literal  explanations,  or  through  figures  of  speech.  The 
use  of  figures  of  speech  is  to  make  an  idea  or  thought 
more  attractive  or  striking.  The  different  figures  of 
speech  are  as  follows : 

Simile.  A  simile  is  an  expression  that  likens  two  things 
that  are  different,  but  have  a  point  of  resemblance  in 
appearance,  actions,  qualities,  or  in  producing  the  same 
effect. 

—97— 


Example :  A  salesman  is  showing  a  mattress  to  a  man 
who  complains  that  he  cannot  sleep  well  on  the  mattress 
he  is  using.  The  salesman  gives  his  selling  talk  on  the 
mattress  he  wishes  to  sell  and  ends  up  by  saying,  "It  will 
induce  rest  and  sleep  like  a  soothing  and  harmless  opiate." 
This  is  a  simile. 

Metaphor.  A  metaphor  is  also  founded  on  resem- 
blance, but  the  resemblance  is  implied  instead  of  being 
formally  expressed. 

Example :  A  salesman  selling  some  device  that  will 
reduce  operating  expenses,  says  to  a  prospective  buyer, 
"From  wastefulness  to  economy  is  but  a  matter  of 
system."  The  word  system  implies  that  it  will  effect 
economy. 

Allegory  is  founded  on  resemblance,  but  it  takes  the 
form  of  a  fable,  parable,  or  fictitious  story  that  furnishes 
an  illustration  or  points  out  a  moral  or  conclusion. 

Example:  A  salesman  is  trying  to  sell  a  buyer  some- 
thing, but  the  buyer  is  very  obstinate  and  refuses  to  be- 
lieve some  assertion  that  the  salesman  has  made.  The 
salesman  sees  that  it  will  be  almost  impossible  to  prove 
his  statement  while  the  buyer  is  in  the  present  mood. 
He  sees  that  he  must  inhibit  the  idea  that  is  in  the  buy- 
er's mind,  so  he  says,  "Mr.  Jones,  you  put  me  in  the  posi- 
tion of  the  man  in  the  fable  who  was  discussing  with  a 
lion  the  relative  strength  of  men  and  lions  in  general. 
The  man  contended  that  men  were  stronger  than  lions 
by  reason  of  their  greater  intelligence.  He  said  to  the 
lion,  "Come  with  me  and  I  will  prove  that  I  am  right." 

—98— 


So  they  went  to  the  public  gardens  and  the  man  showed 
the  hon  a  statue  of  Hercules  overcoming  the  Lion  and 
tearing  his  mouth  in  two. 

"That  is  all  very  well,"  said  the  lion,  "but  proves 
nothing,  for  it  was  a  man  who  made  the  statue." 

"Mr.  Jones,  I  didn't  make  the  statue,  but  I  did  make 
an  assertion.  I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  to  go  to  the 
public  gardens,  but  I  will  ask  you  to  take  your  mind 
over  to  Monticello.  You  know  Black  &  Co.  and  Tom 
Johnson  over  there.  I  have  been  selling  them  this  same 
article  for  a  year  and  they  have  had  splendid  success  with 
it.  You  have  the  same  class  of  trade  as  theirs,  and  it 
is  logical  to  infer  that  you  can  do  as  well  with  it  as  they 
have  been  doing.  If  you  want  me  to,  I  will  call  Mr. 
Black  up  on  the  long  distance  telephone  and  ask  him 
which  way  he  finds  it  easiest  to  sell  the  article.  I  will  tell 
him  the  information  is  for  you,  and  I  know  he  will  give 
it  to  me.  When  I  was  over  there  we  happened  to  men- 
tion your  name,  and  got  to  talking  about  you.  I  know 
that  Mr.  Black  likes  you.     Shall  I  call  him  up  ?" 

The  buyer  has  become  calm  while  the  salesman  has 
been  talking.  The  moral  of  the  fable  flattered  the  buy- 
er's intelligence.  He  sees  that  the  article  is  successful, 
and  is  pleased  to  know  that  Mr.  Black  has  a  favorable 
opinion  of  him.  He  does  not  wish  to  call  Mr.  Black  on 
the  phone,  so  he  says,  "No,  I  don't  think  you  need  to  call 
him  up.     Let  me  see  that  thing  again." 

The  use  of  an  allegory,  an  anecdote,  or  a  true  nar- 
rative has  the  eftect  of  diverting  the  buyer's  mind  from 
opposition    and    gives   the    salesman   an   opportunity   of 

—99— 


leading  up  to  a  point  in  a  manner  that  is  pleasing  to  the 
buyer. 

Personification.  This  is  attributing  life  to  an  inanimate 
thing  or  to  an  abstract  idea. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  dealing  with  a  buyer  who 
wishes  to  put  off  buying  until  later.  The  salesman  says, 
"Mr,  Brown,  Procrastination  is  the  thief  of  time  and 
profit." 

In  the  present  case  this  should  be  carried  out  by  the 
salesman  reverting  to  the  points  of  his  argument  that 
the  buyer  has  been  impressed  by,  and  ending  up  with 
some  particularly  strong  argumicnt.  It  should  all  be 
expressed  with  strong  feeling. 

Antithesis.  Where  words  that  are  opposed  to  each 
other,  or  form  a  contrast,  occur  in  the  same  sentence  the 
figure  is  antithetical. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  selling  a  thing  that  is  new. 
He  presents  his  proposition  to  a  buyer  who  tells  the  sales- 
man that  he  prefers  to  continue  handling  what  he  has 
because  it  is  advertised  and  well  known.  The  salesman 
says,  "Mr.  Reed,  the  character  of  goods  lies  in  what  they 
are;  the  reputation  of  goods  lies  in  what  people  think 
they  are."    Character  and  reputation  are  contrasted. 

The  salesman  should  follow  it  up  by  saying,  "My  goods 
have  character  and  distinctiveness.  They  do  not  need 
reputation  to  sell  them.  You  say  that  the  other  goods 
are  advertised.  My  goods  do  not  need  advertising;  they 
will  sell  on  sight.  Here,  consider  this  article  and  the  one 
5'ou  are  handling.  Which  would  you  choose  for  your 
own  use  ?  Mine  ?   Certainly  !     So  will  your  trade  ;  it  only 

—100— 


requires  a  few  words  of  assurance  to  your  customers  and 
they  will  buy  this  article.  They  will  be  better  pleased, 
and  you  will  make  a  bigger  profit." 

Epigram.  An  epigram  is  a  brief  pointed  saying.  Ex- 
ample: A  salesman  is  selling  "Blackbird"  fast  black 
hosiery.  He  says  to  the  buyer,  "The  fastest  colors  are 
those  that  won't  run ;  the  less  they  run  the  faster  they 

go." 

This  is  an  epigram.  It  should  be  followed  up  some- 
thing like  this :  "Blackbird  hosiery  goes  swiftly ;  it  flies." 
Mean  it,  don't  joke  it.  Go  ahead  and  tell  of  its  success, 
and  why  it  is  successful. 

Metonymy.  This  is  changing  the  name  of  one  thing 
to  another,  but  the  mention  of  one  suggests  the  other. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  showing  his  line  of  ladies' 
dresses  to  a  buyer  in  his  own  store.  The  buyer  gets  one 
of  his  dresses  to  compare  with  one  of  the  salesman's. 
The  buyer  is  not  sure  as  to  the  superiority  of  his  dress, 
but  puts  on  a  bold  front  and  says,  "There !  what  do  you 
think  of  that !" 

The  salesman  looks  at  the  dress,  and  says,  "It  looks  to 
me  like  a  phantasmagorical  production  of  a  disordered 
brain."  (Meaning  that  the  man  who  designed  it  was 
crazy.) 

He  then  goes  on  to  pick  out  the  flaws  in  the  garment  to 
prove  his  assertion. 

You  can  find  flaws  in  anything  if  you  wish  to  be  fair 
minded.  Such  words  and  expressions  as  pippin,  gold 
mine,  red  tape,  gray  hairs,  etc.,  are  commonly  used 
metonymically. 

—101— 


Synecdoche.  This  is  a  figure  which  consists  of  putting 
the  whole  for  a  part,  or  a  part  for  the  whole. 

Example :  A  salesman  says  regarding  an  article  that 
is  well  known,  "The  world  knows  its  value."  (Whole  for 
a  part.) 

Interrogation.  This  is  a  figure  of  speech  that  asks  a 
question:  Example :  A  salesman  is  dealing  with  a  buyer 
who  wants  a  lower  price.  The  salesman  says,  "Mr. 
Smith,  can  you  draw  water  from  a  well  that  is  dry  ?" 

Hyperbole.  This  is  a  figure  of  speech  that  exag- 
gerates for  effect. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  selling  a  small  but  valuable 
book.  He  says  to  his  prospective  buyer,  "The  book  is 
about  as  big  as  a  minute,  but  its  contents  are  the  con- 
centration of  centuries." 

Irony.  Irony  suggests  the  contrary  of  what  is  ex- 
pressed. When  you  praise  a  thing,  meaning  to  ridicule 
it,  you  use  irony. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  showing  a  line  of  shirts  to  a 
buyer  in  his  own  store.  The  buyer  thinks  he  has  some- 
thing better.  He  gets  one  of  his  shirts  and  shows  it  to 
the  salesman,  saying,  "What  do  you  think  of  that  ?" 

The  salesman  sees  that  the  shirt  has  been  skimped  in 
the  making,  so  he  quietly  says:  "It's  great.  What  I 
admire  about  it  more  than  anything  else  is  the  ingenuity 
of  the  manufacturer  who  can  make  a  size  17  out  of  a 
size  I4>4." 

Vision.  This  describes  the  past,  absent,  or  the  imagi- 
nary as  if  it  were  actually  before  our  eyes. 

Example :     A  salesman  is  showing  phonographs  to  a 

-102— 


prospective  buyer  who  intends  to  make  a  present  of  one 
to  a  friend  who  has  a  family. 

The  salesman  wishes  to  clearly  establish  the  place, 
persons,  and  object  in  the  buyer's  mind,  so  he  asks  what 
kind  of  music  they  like,  and  about  the  home. 

The  buyer  tells  the  salesman,  who  suggests  the  kind 
of  phonograph  to  buy  and  the  kind  of  music  they  would 
appreciate.  He  ends  up  by  saying,  "As  a  surprise  for 
them,  I  would  not  send  a  card  with  it  or  let  them  know 
from  whom  it  came,  but  I  would  put  a  blank  record  in 
the  phonograph  and  talk  to  it  just  as  you  would  when 
presenting  it  to  them  in  person.  I  would  then  take  the 
record  and  pack  it  so  that  Vvhen  the  package  is  opened 
they  will  see  it  first.  ]\Iark  on  the  record,  'Play  this 
first.' 

'T  can  just  imagine  the  look  of  wonder  and  pleased 
surprise  on  their  faces  as  they  stand  around  the  table 
listening  to  the  machine.  They  will  see  you  in  their 
mind's  eye  in  a  way  that  will  endear  you  to  their  hearts 
as  long  as  they  live." 

Vision  is  contained  in  the  last  sentence.  The  balance 
is  merely  description. 

Litotes.  This  is  the  making  of  a  statement  by  denying 
its  opposite. 

Example :  A  salesman  is  showing  an  article  to  a  buyer 
who  does  not  like  its  appearance.  He  says  to  the  sales- 
man, "It's  an  ugly  thing."  The  salesman  replies,  "It 
is  not  made  for  show."  (Meaning  it  is  made  for  prac- 
tical use.) 

*=-103— 


Allusion.  This  is  a  reference  to  some  familiar  expres- 
sion, or  event,  for  the  purpose  of  iUustration,  explana- 
tion, or  description. 

Example :  A  salesman  tells  a  buyer  that  he  can  use  the 
thing  that  the  salesman  is  selling  as  a  "Big  Stick"  against 
his  competitors. 

Euphemism.  This  is  the  substituting  of  agreeable 
names  or  expressions  for  those  that  are  disagreeable. 

Example :  Overcharges  are  called  errors.  Lying  is 
called  over-active  imagination,  thoughtlessness,  or  mis- 
taken ideas.  Excuses  are  called  reasons.  Extravagance 
is  called  necessity.  Indecency  is  called  art.  In  fact  a 
pleasant  name  can  be  found  for  anything  that  is  unpleas- 
ant. It  all  depends  upon  the  point  of  view,  and  how 
much  your  self-interest  is  involved. 

The  reader  no  doubt  v/onders  why  I  have  introduced 
the  figures  of  speech  here  in  the  phase  of  desire  instead 
of  treating  them  separately.  I  will  tell  you.  There  lies 
in  figures  of  speech  a  suggestiveness  so  powerful  in  its 
effect  in  inhibiting  aversion  and  augmenting  desire  that 
it  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon  your  mind. 
That  is  why.  We  have  seen  that  the  salesman  has  sup- 
plied the  buyer  with  a  Motive.  The  buyer  has  Deliber- 
ated upon  the  Motive.  He  has  Resolved  to  go  farther. 
We  have  seen  that  the  salesman  can  play  upon  a  certain 
number  of  the  senses  and  that  his  proposition  effects  cer- 
tain faculties.  He  plays  so  successfully  upon  these  facul- 
ties through  the  medium  of  the  senses  that  Desire  is 
aroused.  The  next  and  last  phase  is  Belief,  and  it  is  here 
where  the  will  decides  to  act.     It  is  here  where  the  mind 

—304— 


is  persuaded  to  assent  to  the  opinion  that  the  buyer  can 
use  the  proposition  being  sold,  and  the  will  gives  its  con- 
sent. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  book  it  was  stated  that  there 
is  a  difference  in  the  workings  of  the  minds  of  the  Intel- 
lectual and  Emotional  Buyers.  The  names  of  the  differ- 
ent stages  given  there  are  only  general  and  are  for  gen- 
eral apprehension.  Now  that  you  know  what  the  five 
phases  of  the  will  really  are  they  mean  but  little  to  you. 

The  real  difference  between  the  two  is  this.  The  Intel- 
lectual buyer  is  calm  and  calculating.  His  faculties  of 
Causality  and  Comparison  are  constantly  at  work.  He 
does  not  allow  desire  to  sway  his  reason.  He  is  con- 
stantly analyzing  what  is  presented  to  his  mind.  The 
phase  of  belief  means  to  him  a  logical  conclusion.  The 
Emotional  buyer  is  different.  The  mere  sight  of  the 
article,  or  one  of  its  selling  points,  may  arouse  his  desire 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  greatly  impairs  the  working  of 
Causality  and  Comparison  and  he  does  not  fully  analyze 
the  proposition.  Or  he  may  be  so  strongly  influenced  that 
his  Causality  and  Comparison  almost  cease  working  and 
he  accepts  everything  on  simpe  faith. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  belief  in  salesmanship.  The 
first  is  the  belief  that  is  the  outcome  of  pure  reason,  and 
springs  from  the  faculties  of  Causality  and  Comparison. 

The  second  is  that  of  simple  faith  and  springs  from  the 
faculty  of  Spirituality.  This  is  blind  confidence  and  has 
but  little  of  reason  in  it. 

The  third  is  a  combination  of  reason  and  faith.  It  is 
strong  confidence  that  has  much  of  reason  in  it.     This 

—105— 


is  a  combination  of  Causality,  Comparison,  and  Spiri- 
tuality. 

Belief  is  influenced  by  the  faculty  of  Acquisitiveness ; 
and  Acquisitiveness,  from  a  purely  mechanical  stand- 
point, is  influenced  by  the  following  faculties: 

Hope.    From  this  faculty  springs  the  hope  of  profit. 

Ideality.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  love  of  the 
beautiful  or  ideal. 

Imitation.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  desire  to 
follow  the  example  of  others. 

Locality.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  desire  to  favor 
some  particular  market. 

Constructiveness.  This  faculty  influences  Acquisitive- 
ness by  its  appreciation  of  superior  construction  or  com- 
position.   ■ 

Order.    From  this  facult_v  springs  the  love  of  system. 

Calculation.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  desire  for 
price  and  quantity. 

Comhativcncss.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  desire 
for  things  that  will  combat  competition. 

Dcstrnctivcncss.  From  this  faculty  springs  the  desire 
for  things  that  will  kill  competition. 

We  will  now  see  how  a  proposition  is  analyzed.  The 
following  will  about  cover  ever}thing  from  th.e  commer- 
cial standpoint: 

Tke  Proposition.  Wh.at  is  its  use  or  purpose?  What 
is  the  cause  of,  or  reason  for,  its  existence? 

Action.  What  is  its  effect  when  in  action?  Is  it  an 
article  of  wearing  apparel,   and   is  it  so  beautiful  in 

—106— 


appearance  that  it  will  cause  a  person  to  forget  prudence 
or  economy  and  impel  them  to  buy  it? 

Is  it  an  automobile  that  speeds  like  the  flash  of  a 
thought?  Is  it  a  cigar  whose  fragrant  perfume  lingers 
in  the  mind  of  the  smoker  and  at  every  desire  to  smoke 
causes  a  remembrance  of  its  name  ? 

Is  it  a  whisky  whose  mellowing  influence  creates  a 
feeling  of  good-will  and  love  toward  all  mankind,  or  is  it 
full  of  bad  thoughts  and  deeds  ? 

Is  it  a  machine  whose  efficiency  is  so  great  that  it  will 
take  the  place  of  many  men  ? 

In  fact,  what  will  your  proposition  do? 

Under  this  heading  ask  yourself  these  questions:  How 
does  it  look?  How  does  it  feel  or  fit?  How  does  it 
taste,  smell,  or  sound?    What  effect  will  it  produce? 

Quality  of  Trade.  What  class  of  trade  is  it  adapted  to? 

Quality  of  Construction  or  Composition.  What  is  it 
made  of?  How  is  it  made?  Is  the  material  good,  or 
only  indifferent?    If  so,  why  so?    There's  a  reason. 

Manner.  What  is  its  manner  of  production?  What  is 
its  manner  of  handling?  Does  the  manner  of  production 
and  handling  affect  the  quality  and  price? 

Comparison.  How  does  your  proposition  compare 
with  what  will  be  put  into  competition  with  it?  Does  it 
compare  favorably  with  others?  There  must  be  some- 
thing about  your  proposition  that  will  make  it  desirable 
in  the  face  of  competition.  Call  up  your  resourcefulness 
and  ingenuity.  If  you  admit  that  your  proposition  can- 
not compete  with  others,  then  you  are  done  for,  and  have 

—107— 


no  excuse  for  handling  it,  unless  it  is  tliat  you  need  the 
money,  and  that  is  a  motive  the  buyer  will  not  accept. 

Quantity.  What  quantity  is  it  sold  in?  How  is  it  put 
up? 

Price.  Is  the  price  reasonable  or  is  it  a  little  high  on 
account  of  superior  quality  of  material  and  workman- 
ship? Is  the  law  of  supply  and  demand  affecting  the 
price,  or  is  it  only  a  matter  of  opinion?  Is  your  price 
cheap?  If  it  is  you  must  have  a  very  reasonable  expla- 
nation for  its  being  cheap,  otherwise  you  may  create  the 
opinion  that  there  has  been  a  fall  in  prices,  that  your 
proposition  is  not  as  you  represent  it,  or  that  your  goods 
will  not  come  up  to  sample. 

Terms.   What  are  your  terms,  and  why  are  they  so? 

Time.  How  long  does  it  take  to  make  your  article, 
or  is  it  carried  in  stock?    When  is  it  to  be  shipped? 

Place.  Where  is  it  to  be  shipped  from  ?  Where  is  it 
to  be  shipped  to?    What  is  its  effect  upon  freight  rates? 

Direction.  By  what  route  is  it  to  be  shipped?  Is  the 
route  selected  on  account  of  freight  rates  or  on  account 
of  quick  delivery  ? 

Affirmation.  What  must  I  assert  regarding  my  propo- 
sition ? 

Negation.     What  must  I  deny,  or  explain? 

Interrogation.  What  must  I  ask  the  buyer  that  i  can- 
not tell  from  his  manifest  experience  in  order  to  present 
some  point  more  intelligently  or  effectively  ? 

Order.  What  is  the  relative  strength  of  my  selling 
points  and  in  what  order  shall  I  arrange  them? 

Write  down  your  selling  points  and  revise  them  until 

—108— 


you  have  a  clear,  smoothly  running,  and  convincing  argu- 
ment. 

I  will  now  give  an  example  of  a  sales  argument  and 
then  analyze  it. 

This  is  a  sales  argument  that  I  used  while  selling  a 
specialty.  It  proved  very  successful  with  me  and  has 
landed  all  classes  of  buyers  from  the  most  representative 
to  those  of  the  smaller  type.  In  some  instances  I  was 
obliged  to  change  the  argument  a  trifle,  but  the  variations 
were  so  slight  that  it  did  not  affect  the  body  of  the 
argument.  This  argument  is  adapted  only  to  the  buyers 
in  the  retail  stores.  To  the  buyers  in  the  mail-order 
houses  I  used  a  different  argument.  I  sold  five  of  the 
mail-order  houses  in  Chicago  through  an  argument  based 
upon  what  the  sixth  one  did  not  do.  This  shows  you 
what  you  can  do  with  a  single  idea  if  you  only  take  ad- 
vantage of  it.    The  argument  is  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Smith,  I  am  representing  the  Hall-Miller  Co., 
of  Chicago,  manufacturers  of  Dr.  E.  E.  Hall's  AU-Metal 
Expanding  Douche  Point.  (I  would  produce  the  instru- 
ment.) This  is  the  only  instrument  of  its  kind  that  can 
be  expanded  to  any  size  required.  It  is  regulated  by  turn- 
ing the  dial.  (I  would  turn  the  dial  and  the  instrument 
would  expand.)  The  expanding  points  are  held  firmly 
in  place  at  any  degree  of  expansion.  (I  would  squeeze 
the  points.)  When  the  instrument  is  inserted  within  the 
parts  the  walls  are  fully  expanded,  leaving  a  perfectly 
smooth  surface,  so  that  the  water  or  medication  reaches 
all  parts  of  the  canal.  (I  would  hold  up  my  hand  and 
open  and  spread  the  fingers.)     After  the  instrument  has 

—109— 


been  used  it  can  be  sterilized  by  being  placed  in  boiling 
water,  for  it  is  all  metal  and  there  are  no  parts  that  can 
be  destroyed  by  the  heat. 

There  is  no  other  syringe  on  the  market  that  can  be 
sterilized,  for  they  are  all  made  of  rubber,  and  rubber  is 
softened  by  the  heat. 

A  douche  point  that  cannot  be  sterilized  is  dangerous, 
for  it  can  cause  reinfection  after  having  been  used  to 
treat  infected  parts. 

In  order  to  thoroughly  sterilize  the  instnmient  it  should 
be  taken  apart.  This  is  done  by  pressing  the  button  and 
slipping  off  the  shell.  (I  would  do  this,  the  instrument 
would  fall  apart,  and  I  would  spread  out  the  pieces.) 

The  instrument  is  easily  put  together  again.  (I  would 
put  the  instrument  together,  work  it  a  few  times,  and 
hand  it  to  the  buyer,  who  would  look  at  it,  work  it,  and 
would  then  ask  the  price.) 

The  price  is  $24.00  per  dozen.  The  retail  price  is 
restricted  to  $3.00. 

(The  buyer  would  consider  a  moment  and  would  then 
say,  "I  don't  think  I  can  get  $3.00  for  it ;  they  can  buy 
other  douche  points  for  less  money.") 

Mr.  Smith,  I  have  already  shown  the  superiority  of 
my  instrument,  and  could  now  reply  that  it  is  cheaper 
than  any  other  syringe  in  the  long  run,  for  it  is  all  metal 
and  is  indestructible.  It  will  last  a  lifetime,  wliile  other 
syringes  have  to  be  replaced  quite  often.  But  that  is  not 
a  convincing  argument. 

The  first  day  that  I  took  hold  of  the  instrument  I  found 

—110— 


that  the  buyers  liked  it,  but  it  was  new  and  untried,  and 
they  were  afraid  that  they  could  not  get  the  price. 

Those  that  I  sold  it  to  acted  as  though  they  were  buy- 
ing against  their  better  judgment,  and  I  knew  that  when 
they  received  the  instruments  they  would  make  but  little 
effort  to  push  them. 

The  next  few  days  were  the  same,  and.  at  last  I  con- 
cluded that  the  only  way  to  prove  the  instrument  was  to 
put  it  on  public  demonstration. 

This  I  succeeded  m  doing,  and  it  is  now  being  demon- 
strated at  (here  I  named  three  stores)  and  has  been  for 
some  time. 

The  fact  that  we  are  allowed  to  continue  with  our 
demonstration  is  proof  that  we  are  making  a  success, 
for.  floor  space  in  these  stores  is  too  valuable  to  be  wasted 
on  failures. 

These  three  stores  cover  the  upper,  middle,  and  lower 
classes  of  trade,  so  you  »can  see  that  the  sale  of  the 
instrument  is  not  confined  to  any  one  class.  When  the 
demonstrators  started  to  work  I  instructed  them  not  to 
talk  up  the  instrument  to  those  who  came  to  the  store  for 
the  express  purpose  of  buying  a  syringe,  but  simply  lay 
out  the  different  syringes,  take  our  syringe,  work  it  a 
few  times,  and  lay  it  beside  the  others.  Invariably  the 
customer  picks  up  our  syringe  and  wants  to  know 
about  it. 

The  demonstrator  simply  says,  "That  is  Dr.  E.  E. 
Hall's  Douche  Point.  The  other  syringes  do  not  irrigate 
thoroughly,  that  is  why  Dr.  Hall  invented  this." 

—Ill— 


She  then  takes  the  instrument  apart,  puts  it  together, 
and  tells  the  customer  the  price. 

If  the  customer  complains  that  the  price  is  too  high 
the  demonstrator  says,  "No,  the  price  is  reasonable. 
It  cannot  be  sold  for  less.  The  only  question  that  you 
must  settle  with  yourself  is  whether  you  can  afford  to 
take  chances  with  your  health  in  order  to  save  the  differ- 
ence in  price,  or  whether  you  want  to  buy  the  best  and 
get  quick  and  thorough  results.  This  instrument  is  really 
the  cheapest  because  it  lasts  a  life-time."  The  demon- 
strators report  that  in  almost  every  case  the  customer 
buys  our  instrument,  and  I  construe  this  to  the  fact  that 
there  is  no  apparent  influence  on  the  part  of  the  demon- 
strator. The  customer's  mind  is  simply  directed  into  the 
right  way  of  thinking,  and  they  cannot  fail  to  see  the 
benefit  of  buying  our  instrument. 

When  the  demonstrators  deal  with  those  who  had  no 
intention  of  buying  a  syringe  before  they  were  attracted 
to  the  demonstration  the  demonstrators  are  obliged  to 
do  a  little  more  talking,  and  they  report  that  sales  are 
often  made  to  those  who  already  have  a  syringe  but  find 
them  inefficient.  Many  who  have  not  the  money  with 
them  come  back  the  next  day.  or  later,  to  buy  one. 

Now  this  is  sufficient  proof  that  the  instrument  is  a 
seller,  but  the  most  convincing  proofs  of  all  are  the  re- 
orders we  are  getting  from  the  dealers  that  had  no  dem- 
onstration but  simply  bought  them  because  they  saw  bet- 
ter profits  in  ours  than  in  the  others.  They  have  no  com- 
petition because  the  price  is  restricted.    They  were  quick 

—112— 


to  see  that  it  only  reguired  a  few  simple  statements  to' 
guide  the  customer's  mind  into  the  right  way  of  thinking. 

We  will  furnish  you  with  booklets  to  send  out  in  your 
packages  like  the  others  are  doing.  The  rest  you  can  do 
by  placing  the  instruments  where  they  will  attract  atten- 
tion. 

(I  would  stop  right  here  to  give  the  suggestion  time 
to  operate,  and  would  generally  land  my  order  without 
further  argument.) 

The  conditions  were  these:  the  thing  sold  was  con- 
structively attractive,  and  desirable  for  its  efficiency,  but 
its  salability  was  untried,  and  it  was  not  advertised.  The 
class  of  dealers  who  handle  goods  of  this  kind  dislike 
to  adopt  anything  that  is  not  advertised,  or  requires  any 
talking  to  effect  a  sale. 

This  I  was  prepared  for,  but  gave  no  intimation  of  my 
knowledge  until  I  had  the  buyers  properly  conditioned 
to  receive  the  argument  that  was  intended  to  overcome 
this  aversion.  Instead  I  dwelt  on  the  price  and  treated 
the  aversion  incidentally  but  convincingly..  I  forced  the 
buyer  to  ask  the  price  for  a  two-fold  reason.  The  first 
was  to  make  him  show  his  interest.  The  second  to  create 
a  favorable  opening  for  persuasion. 

When  I  named  the  price  I  knew  perfectly  well  what 
the  answer  would  be,  for  I  had  proven  it  by  experience. 

I  had  my  argument  so  constructed  that  after  his  first 
and  only  objection  the  buyer  was  left  no  opening  to  start 
an  argument  or  dispute.  I  convinced  and  guided  his 
mind  at  the  same  time.  This  is  following  the  line  of  least 
resistance. 

^113— 


We  will  now  see  how  I  followed  the  five  rules  for 
controlling  the  argument. 

First.  I  was  thoroughly  prepared  to  overcome  any 
opinion  that  was  prejudicial  to  the  instrument. 

Second.  I  compelled  close  attention  by  bringing  out 
the  details  fully  and  carefully. 

Third.  I  proved  that  it  was  not  impossible  to  get  the 
price  for  the  instrument. 

Fourth.  I  tactfully  anticipated  the  arguments  that  the 
buyer  would  bring  up. 

Fifth.  I  avoided  confusion  by  expressing  my  ideas 
clearly  and  by  presenting  my  argument  in  a  coherent 
manner. 

The  five  phases  of  the  will  were  passed  through  as 
follows : 

The  Motive  was  established  when  I  produced  my  in- 
strument. The  faculty  of  Causality  was  first  aroused 
and  Amativeness  affected,  but  I  immediately  inhibited 
Amativeness  by  a  quiet  dignity  of  manner  and  called 
attention  to  the  working  of  the  instrument.  Here  Con- 
structiveness  was  affected  and  deliberation  set  in. 

In  the  phase  of  Deliberation  I  led  from  Constructive- 
ness  to  Destructiveness  when  I  showed  the  instrument's 
efficiency  in  destroying  disease  and  the  indestructibility 
of  the  instrument.  Then  I  returned  to  Constructiveness 
again  when  I  took  the  instrument  apart.  When  I  put  it 
together  again  and  handed  it  to  the  buyer  it  suggested 
Acquisitiveness.  He  Resolved  to  go  further  and  ask 
the  price. 

When  I  named  the  price  Calculation  said  "No,"  and 


Combativeness  was  slightly  aroused.  I  was  prepared 
for  Combativeness,  so  I  continued  with  my  argument  in 
a  manner  calculated  to  inhibit  Combativeness  and  ex- 
cite wonder.  I  created  wonder  when  I  reverted  to  the 
superiority  and  indestructibility  of  my  instrument  and 
then  saying  that  the  argument  was  not  convincing. 
Wonder  springs  from  Spirituality.  The  faculty  of  Spiri- 
tuality loves  stories,  so  I  presented  the  balance  of  my 
argument  in  the  torm  of  a  narrative.  The  narrative 
was  presented  to  Spirituality,  but  the  suggestion  it  con- 
tained was  aimed  at  Imitation.  As  I  continued  with  my 
narrative  and  showed  the  success  others  were  having 
with  the  instrument,  Imitation  was  being  influenced, 
which  in  turn  influenced  Acquisitiveness,  and  Desire 
set  in. 

While  relating  the  narrative  my  voice,  manner,  and 
expression  were  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  buyer. 

My  voice,  manner,  and  expression  contained  an  im- 
pressive sincerity  that  was  constantly  influencing  the 
faculties  of  Imitation  and  Spirituality,  and  as  I  grad- 
ually showed  how  easy  it  was  to  sell  the  instrument, 
belief  set  in. 

The  faculties  of  Causality  and  Comparison  were  at 
work,  but  their  workings  were  influenced  by  my  involving 
the  buyer  by  implication  instead  of  presenting  the  argu- 
ment to  him  directly.  That  is  the  secret  of  the  power 
of  indirect  suggestion. 

The  selling  talk  I  have  just  given  is  that  of  a  single 
specialty.  A  general  or  specialty  line  is  different,  but 
the  five  phases  of  the  will  are  the  same.    The  motive 


must  be  established  by  some  particular  article  or  articles, 
or  by  the  line  as  a  whole. 

The  individual  items  of  a  line  are  the  selling  points, 
and  when  it  is  necessary  these  items  are  resolved  into 
their  own  selling  points. 

In  all  lines  there  are  some  numbers  that  are  good, 
some  that  are  bad,  and  some  that  are  indifferent.  They 
are  made  so  by  contrast. 

Some  salesmen  lack  self-confidence  and  arrange  all 
their  good  numbers  together  for  fear  that  the  buyer  will 
not  be  impressed  otherwise. 

This  is  a  mistake,  for  the  good  numbers  are  thrown 
into  competition  with  each  other  and  the  strength  of  the 
line  is  reduced. 

If  the  salesman  will  distribute  his  good  numbers  among 
the  bad  and  indifferent,  all  of  his  good  numbers  will  be 
shown  to  good  advantage  by  Contrast,  and  his  bills  will 
be  larger. 

There  is  also  a  difference  of  opinion  among  buyers  as 
to  what  they  can  use.  Some  of  the  bad  and  indifferent 
numbers  may  appeal  to  them.  But  this  can  never  be  the 
case  when  a  salesman  concentrates  all  his  selling  talk 
upon  the  good  numbers  and  overwhelms  the  balance  of 
the  line  by  their  superiority. 

There  is  another  thing  to  be  taken  into  consideration 
by  salesmen  selling  a  line  for  a  manufacturer.  A  manu- 
facturer can  make  his  goods  at  a  smaller  expense  and 
make  better  deliveries  when  he  has  less  numbers  to  manu- 
facture.    It  is  therefore  to  the  salesman's,  buyer's,  and 

—116— 


manufacturer's  interest  for  the  salesman  to  tactfully 
guide  the  buyer's  selections  when  the  line  is  large. 

There  is  an  observation  I  wish  to  make  regarding  sales- 
men and  their  lines.  I  have  known  many  salesmen  to 
make  a  success  of  a  reasonably  good  line,  but  when  they 
dropped  that  line  and  took  a  better  one  they  failed.  The 
reason  for  their  failure  is  this:  They  were  overcome  by 
the  superiority  of  the  line.  They  thought  that  the  buyers 
would  be  impressed  in  the  same  manner  as  they  were. 
In  fact  they  forgot  their  salesmanship.  They  forgot  that 
they  were  dealing  with  the  five  senses  and  the  different 
faculties  of  the  brain.  They  forgot  that  each  mind  has 
an  opinion  of  its  own,  and  that  the  business  of  the  sales- 
man is  to  influence  opinion,  not  so  much  by  the  goods 
themselves  as  in  the  manner  in  which  the  salesman  pre- 
sents them. 

Furthermore  a  salesman  is  not  always  a  competent 
judge  of  a  line.  He  is  often  influenced  by  the  opinions 
of  others. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  there  are  some  lines  superior 
to  others,  but  they  generally  have  their  drawbacks,  some 
of  which  are  as  follows : 

They  sell  so  easily  that  there  is  not  much  money  in  it 
for  the  salesman. 

The  manufacturer  or  jobber  is  unable  to  make  prompt 
deliveries  or  fill  all  their  orders.  The  customers  become 
dissatisfied  and  cancel  orders.  If  the  salesman  is 
selling  on  commission  he  has  done  much  work  for 
nothing. 

The  manufacturer  or  jobber  with  the  superior  line  is 

— iir— 


very  often  too  independent,  and  loses  customers  for  the 
salesman  by  their  unwillingness  to  arbitrate  differences 
that  may  arise. 

The  salesman  is  treated  as  an  incident,  not  as  a  factor, 
in  the  business.  Such  a  position  is  not  calculated  to  build 
a  strong  character.  There  is  not  enough  responsibility. 
Be  careful  before  you  make  a  change.  Do  not  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  opinions  of  others.  Rather  improve  what 
you  have  by  finding  out  its  weak  points  and  suggesting 
improvements  to  3'our  employer.  But  remember  that  all 
your  points  are  not  weak. 

In  closing  this  chapter  there  is  one  thing  that  should 
be  impressed  upon  the  mind,  and  that  is  to  refrain  from 
telling  one's  business  to  others.  The  salesman  may  have 
made  a  large  sale  and  is  so  happy  over  it  that  he  can 
hardly  refrain  from  mentioning  his  success  to  others. 
Should  it  reach  the  ears  of  one  of  his  competitors,  his 
attention  is  directed  to  the  possibility  of  selling  this 
same  customer,  and  he  will  strive  to  secure  the  business 
himself. 

Or  it  may  be  that  the  salesman  has  some  articles  in 
his  line  that  are  having  an  enormous  sale,  and  by  boast- 
ing of  these  articles  he  directs  his  competitors'  attention 
toward  getting  some  of  that  business  by  copying  or  imi- 
tating them,  and  the  salesman's  monopoly  on  his  good 
things  is  gone. 

Then,  again,  it  is  decidedly  unwise  to  tell  anyone  your 
business,  especially  competitors,  for  from  that  very  mo- 
ment you  have  placed  yourself  in  their  power  to  take 
advantage  of  what  may  appear  to  you  to  be  a  sure  thing. 

—118— 


THE  SALESMAN. 

A  bull-frog  cannot  sing  like  a  nightingale,  no  matter 
how  much  you  cultivate  his  voice. 

Nor  can  you  make  a  silk  purse  out  of  a  pig's  ear.  The 
poor  salesman  is  like  the  pig's  ear — the  animal  fiber  is 
there,  but  no  process  has  ever  yet  been  invented  that  will 
transform  pig  bristles  into  silk. 

Nor  has  there  ever  been  a  process  invented  that  will 
make  a  poor  salesman  v.ho  says  "I  can't"  or  "It  can't  be 
done"  say  "I  will"  or  "It  can  be  done"  when  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  thing  devolves  upon  the  poor  salesman's 
ingenuity,  resourcefulness,  and  action. 

Had  Lincoln  said  to  himself,  "A  poor,  ignorant  back- 
woods boy  can  never  hope  to  become  a  great  man,"  the 
history  of  this  country  would  be  dififerent  than  it  is  today. 
The  poor  salesman  has  the  same  brain,  nerves,  and  blood 
as  the  good  salesman,  but  he  has  never  aroused  a  desire 
strong  enough  to  impel  him  to  unyielding  action.  There 
are  three  elements  that  enter  into  the  character  of  a 
salesman. 

These  are  Activity,  Emotion,  and  Intellect. 

According  to  his  intellectual  ability,  the  quality  of  his 

t— 119-^ 


emotions,  and  the  amount  of  his  activity,  is  a  salesman 
good  or  bad. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  salesmen,  the  One-Method  and 
the  Versatile. 

The  One-Method  salesman  is  long  on  Activity  and 
Emotion,  and  short  on  Intellect.  His  activities  and 
emotions  are  not  properly  directed.  This  salesman  is  gen- 
erally overcome  by  the  goods  or  proposition  he  is  selling. 

There  is  another  kind  of  One-Method  salesman  who 
is  all  Activity  and  decidedly  short  on  Emotion  and  Intel- 
lect. This  is  the  salesman  who  works  much  but  produces 
liitle  results. 

I  do  not  take  into  consideration  the  salesman  who  is 
short  on  all  three  of  the  elements,  for  he  is  no  salesman 
at  all.  The  extremely  Versatile  salesman  is  long  on 
Intellect  and  Emotion.  His  Activity  is  fitful  and  he  lacks 
application.  This  is  the  wonder-worker.  He  is  so 
emotionally  and  intellectually  developed  that  he  is  able 
to  change  from  mood  to  mood,  emotion  to  emotion,  and 
thought  to  thought,  with  the  facility  of  a  moving  picture. 
He  is  so  finely  attuned  that  he  senses  advantage  or  dan- 
ger far  in  the  distance  of  an  argument,  and  when  danger 
threatens  turns  down  the  path  of  security  and  evades 
the  peril  ahead.  One  moment  he  is  grave,  the  next  gay ; 
another  moment  he  is  convincingly  firm,  the  next  dip- 
lomatically yielding.  Another  moment  he  is  outpouring 
a  perfect  torrent  of  argument,  the  next  he  is  so  per- 
suasively soft  and  low  that  he  thrills  his  hearer  with  a 
pleasurable  emotion. 

But  this  salesman  is  his  own  enemy  for  when  he  con- 

—120— 


siders  that  he  has  done  enough  business  his  thoughts  fly 
to  the  present,  and  present  pleasures.  His  gains  are  as 
evanescent  as  the  vapors  of  the  morn. 

The  best  salesman  of  all  is  the  one  who  is  nearly  evenly 
developed.  He  has  a  good  intellect.  His  emotions  have 
not  been  allowed  to  become  blase,  and  he  is  a  steady 
worker.  He  is  not  as  brilliant  as  the  extremely  versatile 
salesman,  nor  do  his  orders  come  as  easily ;  but  when 
they  do  come  he  appreciates  them,  and  is  spurred  on  by 
success  instead  of  becoming  satisfied. 

There  is  another  type  of  salesman  and  that  is  the  old 
salesman  who  is  doing  business  with  old-time  friends. 
He  makes  little  or  no  efifort  to  gain  new  business.  The 
first  salesman  needs  development  of  Intellect.  The  sec- 
ond needs  development  of  Intellect  and  Emotion.  The 
third,  or  as  I  called  him,  the  no  salesman,  needs  an  over- 
pov/ering  desire. 

The  fourth  needs  to  properly  direct  and  sustain  his 
will.  The  fifth  can  be  greatly  benefited  by  developing 
and  systematizing  his  knowledge,  and  by  trying  to  per- 
fect himself.    But  absolute  perfection  is  impossible. 

The  sixth  is  set  in  his  ways  and  does  not  wish  to 
change.  The  way  to  develop  the  Intellect  is  by  systematic 
study.  Plan  out  what  you  wish  to  learn.  Then  go  ahead 
and  learn  it. 

To  develop  Emotion  read  stories  of  kindness  and  suf- 
fering.   Throw  yourself  into  sympathy  with  the  subject. 

Read  stirring  tales  of  adventure,  love,  and  ambition. 

Give  free  rein  to  your  imagination. 

Go  to  your  room,  walk  up  and  down,  stir  your  blood 

—121— 


into  action,  work  up  your  imagination,  and  put  yourself 
in  the  place  of  a  conqueror. 

This  may  sound  foolish  to  some,  but  you  can  take  it  or 
leave  it. 

Remember,  however,  that  you  deal  with  emotional 
buyers  as  well  as  with  the  intellectual,  and  your  ability 
to  create  emotion  in  the  buyer  lies  in  the  ability  to  arouse 
emotion  in  yourself. 

Activity  lies  in  the  Will. 

To  develop,  strengthen  and  direct  your  will,  you  must 
handle  yourselves  like  you  do  a  buyer.  That  is,  you  must 
turn  the  selling  process  upon  yourself.  You  must  first 
furnish  yourself  with  a  motive.  Then  deliberate  upon 
the  motive  and  ask  yourself  if  it  is  worth  while  to  attain 
or  accomplish  it.  You  resolve  that  it  is  and  decide  to 
go  further.  You  then  arouse  a  desire  in  yourself  to  attain 
or  accomplish  the  motive.  This  you  do  by  becoming 
dissatisfied  with  what  you  have,  or  are,  and  by  longing 
or  wishing  to  become  what  you  are  not,  or  to  attain 
what  you  have  not. 

When  you  have  aroused  desire,  go  over  your  plan  of 
action  and  see  what  obstacles  will  be  in  your  path.  Con- 
sider if  you  are  strong  enough  to  overcome  them.  If 
you  decide  in  the  affirmative,  you  have  created  belief, 
and  this  belief  should  be  so  strengthened  that  no  power 
under  heaven  can  change  it. 

If  you  decide  that  you  are  not  strong  enough,  your 
will  is  Evocative ;  it  is  still  dormant,  and  needs  calling 
forth.  Your  desire  has  not  been  powerful  enough.  Put 
a  lazy  man  fifty  miles  out  on  a  desert,  where  he  will  be 

—122— 


unable  to  obtain  anything  to  eat,  and  when  he  gets  hungry 
he  will  have  a  powerful  desire  to  get  back  home.  He 
will  do  so. 

His  motive  is  necessity,  but  that  is  a  coward's  motive. 

A  strong  man  will  brave  necessity — court  it  even — to 
attain  or  accomplish  his  purpose. 

Furthermore,  necessity  is  not  a  sustaining  motive,  for 
when  the  necessity  is  overcome  the  will  becomes  passive 
again.  There  is  no  longer  a  motive.  But  necessity  is 
a  good  motive,  for  this  reason — it  evokes  the  will,  exer- 
cises it,  and  gives  it  strength  for  the  time  being.  When 
the  necessity  is  overcome,  the  will  can  easily  be  sustained 
by  furnishing  it  with  a  new  motive. 

If  the  will  feels  unequal  to  the  task  of  attaining  or 
accomplishing  the  motive,  desire  must  be  so  intensified 
that  all  the  ingenuity  and  resourcefulness  in  the  man 
will  unite  in  evolving  his  dormant  power  to  remove  the 
obstacles  from  his  path 

As  each  obstacle  is  removed,  his  belief  in  himself  will 
grow,  until  at  last  he  becomes  firm  as  a  rock,  and  nothing 
but  dynamite  will  move  him. 

Where  the  will  is  in  action  but  wrongly  directed,  it 
must  be  reversed. 

The  man  must  use  an  inhibiting  idea,  supply  himself 
with  a  motive,  deliberate,  resolve  to  go  further,  arouse 
desire,  and  establish  belief. 

It  is  a  common  mistake  to  call  men  who  drink  heavily 
weak-willed,  for  they  are  not.  Their  will  is  strong  but 
wrongly  directed. 

—123^ 


A  man  will  work  all  week  to  obtain  the  money  for  one 
night's  carouse.     His  motive  is  drink. 

The  man  who  has  received  his  money  and  decides  to 
take  one  drink  and  then  go  home,  but  gets  drunk  instead, 
has  directed  his  will  wrongly  from  the  start.  His  inten- 
tion was  good  but  the  one  drink  inhibited  his  will  and 
turned  it  in  the  wrong  direction. 

He  supplied  himself  with  the  motive.  He  then  delib- 
erated and  resolved  to  have  one  more,  then  another,  until 
such  a  desire  was  created  for  what  he  had  not  that  he 
formed  the  belief  that  he  wanted  everything  in  sight. 
One  drink  to  some  men  is  like  the  taste  of  blood  to  a 
lion — it  calls  for  more. 

Other  men  can  take  one  drink  and  stop  right  there. 
They  treat  it  as  an  incident,  not  as  a  m.otive.  But  con- 
tinued incidents  lead  to  a  motive,  so  beware.  The  desire 
to  drink  springs  from  the  faculty  of  Alimentiveness,  and 
its  strongest  inhibiting  agent  lies  in  tliat  faculty. 

The  desire  to  eat  and  drink  comes  from  the  same 
faculty.  It  craves  something  and  must  be  satisfied. 
W^hen  you  have  a  desire  to  drink  do  not  do  so,  but  eat 
instead.     The  craving  will  then  be  gone. 

A  man  who  does  not  drink  before  a  hearty  meal  will 
not  wish  to  do  so  after  eating,  unless  he  cultivates  the 
habit.  This  habit  is  easily  broken  off  b}''  a  little  self- 
restraint,  for  it  is  only  when  the  stomach  is  empty  that 
drink  gains  a  strong  hold  upon  a  man. 

We  would  all  like  to  have  a  strong  personality,  but 
few  possess  it. 

You  can  develop  your  personality  by  taking  thought — 

—124— 


deep  thought.  As  a  man  thinks,  so  is  his  manner,  expres- 
sion, voice,  and  actions. 

If  a  man's  thoughts  are  tricky,  so  will  his  expression 
be.  If  they  are  kind,  good,  and  honest,  his  face  will 
express  it.  A  man  who  constantly  and  deeply  studies 
his  development,  his  welfare,  and  the  welfare  of  others, 
molds  his  expression  so  that  when  the  eyes  rest  upon  his 
face,  they  are  held  there  and  attention  is  spontaneously 
given.  The  intellect  behind  the  expression  intensifies  that 
attention,  and  the  hearer  feels  that  he  is  listening  to  a 
man  who  knows.  He  is  inclined  to  place  confidence  in 
what  he  hears. 

Remember,  that  when  a  buyer  places  confidence  in  you, 
the  confidence  in  himself  is  weakened  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  given. 

Without  honesty  you  cannot  gain  lasting  confidence, 
no  matter  what  your  knowledge  may  be.  Be  honest  with 
yourself,  your  house,  and  your  customer.  Your  house 
will  show  its  appreciation  by  a  raise  in  salary,  provided 
you  do  the  business.  Your  customer  will  continue  to 
give  you  his  business,  and  as  for  yourself,  you  can  look 
the  whole  world  in  the  face  and  fear  no  man. 


—125— 


SCIENCE  AND  ART. 

Science  is  a  creation  of  the  Intellect — Art  a  creation  of 
the  emotions.  Science  appeals  to  the  Intellect — Art  ap- 
peals to  the  emotions.  Art  is  the  application  of  Science — 
so  is  Art  the  application  of  an  inspiration  engendered  by 
the  emotions.  Art  bends  human  nature  to  its  mill,  and 
Science  is  its  means. 


-126^ 


SELLING  GOODS  BY  CORRESPONDENCE. 

The  Mail  Order  Business. 

The  great  advantage  which  selUng  goods  by  mail  has 
over  other  methods  is  that  it  is  never  subjected  to  unfair 
competition.  The  machinery  of  the  postoffice  department 
will  carry  the  goods  of  the  small  dealer  just  as  cheaply 
as  it  will  carry  the  goods  of  the  greatest  houses. 

That  business  experience  and  capital  are  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  order  to  make  a  success  of  the  mail 
order  business  is  proved  by  the  experience  of  an  Ohio 
farmer  67  years  old,  who  started  in  with  a  capital  of  only 
$400  and  in  eighteen  months  cleared  $25,000. 

Colossal  fortunes  have  been  made  from  the  business 
with  spectacular  rapidity,  and  men  and  women  with  no 
capital  but  an  idea  are  still  becoming  rich  by  selling 
goods  through  the  mail.  The  opportunities  are  as  great 
as  they  ever  were,  and  will  be  still  greater  tomorrow. 
The  principle  of  its  success  is  the  ability  to  create  the 
impression  that  the  seller  by  mail  is  able  to  deliver  to  the 
person  in  the  out-of-the-way  town  or  place  m  the  country 
a  something  that  is  better  and  cheaper  than  the  people 
near  such  a  town  can  buy  in  the  home  market. 

—127— 


Certain  ideas  have  become  accepted  as  vital  in  the 
founding  of  a  successful  mail  order  business,  and  these 
ideas  have  been  embraced  in  a  few  general  rules,  as  fol- 
lows: 

Rules  for  Successfully  Conducting  the  Mail  Order 

Business. 

First. — Go  slowly.  Don't  decide  to  embark  upon  a 
mail  order  career  and  then  resign  your  present  position 
without  knowing  definitely  in  what  direction  you  are 
going  to  work.  A  few  weeks  of  quiet  consideration  and 
planning  won't  do  any  harm.  As  much  depends  upon 
the  plan  of  selling  as  upon  the  article  to  be  sold. 

Second. — Choose  carefully  a  "leader"  or  article  upon 
which  you  will  base  your  main  campaign  and  upon  which 
you  can  get  all  the  profit.  To  do  this,  unless  you  are 
already  the  possessor  of  an  exclusive  idea,  run  carefully 
over  the  entire  list  of  what  people  wear,  eat,  drink,  or 
need  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  Nothing  is  too  small 
or  too  large  to  be  included  in  this  vast  catalogue,  and 
your  eventual  choice  will  probably  come  in  a  flash  of 
inspiration.  Try  to  get  something  that  the  great  houses 
can't  get.  Today  the  field  of  the  mail  order  business  is 
commanded  by  the  person  who  has  a  specialty  which  is 
strong  enough  in  demand  by  the  people,  and  over  which 
specialty  the  mail  order  dealer  has  an  absolute  control. 

Third. — Having  chosen  your  leader,  investigate  care- 
fully the  price  at  which  you  will  be  able  to  ofi^er  it  to 
successfully  compete  with  other  similar  articles.    Be  sure 

—128— 


that  yon  can  sell  it  through  the  mails  cheaply  enough  to 
meet  competition. 

FoitrtJi. — Do  not  be  content  with  a  single  leader.  Get 
from  supply  nouses  a  number  of  specialties,  and  inclose 
circulars  for  them  in  all  your  letters.  Any  orders  thus 
gained  cost  merely  the  2-cent  stamp  that  carries  the  bait. 

Best  Tilings  to  Sell. 

In  llic  opinion  of  an  expert  student  of  the  mail  order 
field  there  are  three  general  lines  along  which  the  be- 
ginner in  the  business  must  work.  First  in  order  would 
be  an  invention  of  general  use — the  kind  of  thing  that 
every  family  seeing  it  would  want,  and  which  as  an  in- 
vention would  be  within  the  control  of  the  house  selling 
it.  Second  in  value  is  some  patent  medicine,  applicable 
to  common  ills,  and  which  will  do  all  that  the  advertiser 
may  claim  for  it.  And  third  in  the  rank  of  possibilities 
for  a  new  business  of  the  kind  is  a  new  and  striking 
scheme  adapted  to  some  overlooked  chances,  perhaps. 
For  instance,  this  last  possibility  in  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness may  be  illustrated  in  the  fact  that  one  of  the  great 
real  estate  concerns  of  the  east  is  conducted  along  mail 
order  lines.  It  was  a  novelty  in  the  real  estate  world, 
but  with  the  ideas  of  the  men  behind  it  the  whole  scheme 
has  been  made  to  go. 

Fifth. — Plan  your  advertising.  Consultation  with  an  ex- 
pert is  a  safe  precaution,  as  an  advertising  man  possesses 
experience  that  will  be  valuable  to  you,  even  if  you  are 
brilliant  enough  to  successfully  word  your  own  advertise- 

—129— 


ment.  A  good  plan  is  to  take  some  article  that  presents 
points  of  attractiveness  and  advertise  it  at  a  price  which 
is  strikingly  lower  than  the  same  kind  of  an  article  can 
be  bought  for  at  the  local  store.  Your  ad  should  contain 
an  offer  to  send  your  catalogue  free,  so  that  while  the 
article  advertised  may  not  be  purchased,  the  reader  of 
the  ad  may  be  interested  enough  to  send  a  request  for  the 
catalogue. 

There  is  no  better  means  for  exploiting  the  mail  order 
business  than  is  afforded  by  the  small  advertisement  in  a 
newspaper  of  sound  circulation.  Beyond  any  doubt  the 
small  beginner  in  the  mail  order  business  can  thus  put  his 
wares  before  the  public  at  a  cheaper  rate  and  with 
quicker  returns  than  tlirough  any  other  medium. 

To  bring  returns  your  ad  should  state  as  directly, 
simply  and  convincingly  as  possible  the  reason  why  the 
reader  should  buy  your  article.  If  from  your  description 
he  is  satisfied  that  it  is  just  the  thing  he  wants,  the  all- 
powerful  reason  price  will  do  the  rest. 

Sixth. — As  a  general  rule,  one-fifth  of  a  small  capital 
is  not  too  much  to  expend  in  experimenting.  When  you 
begin  to  get  results  resign  your  position,  devote  your 
whole  time  to  your  new  business,  and  develop  it  econom- 
ically and  judiciously  ujx)n  the  lines  originally  decided 
upon. 

Correspondence. 

V/hen  in  response  to  your  ad  you  receive  letters  re- 
questing descriptive  matter  and  other  particulars  regard- 
ing the  article  advertised,  you  should  proceed  to  work  up 
sales  through  correspondence. 

—130— 


When  one  considers  the  vast  amount  of  advertising 
done,  realizes  that  the  cleverest  advertisement  can  only 
bring  inquiries,  and  that  business  which  is  to  accrue  de- 
pends upon  letters,  the  necessity  of  a  clever  letter  w^riter 
at  the  helm  will  be  understood. 

Every  line  of  business  operated  today  employs  one  or 
more  competent  correspondents,  who  are  in  the  con- 
fidence of  the  firm  and  draw  salaries  that  rank  them  well 
up  among  the  best  paid  employees.  The  ability  to  write 
a  good  business  letter  is  stock  in  trade  on  which  any  man 
may  well  put  a  high  valuation. 

Distinction,  however,  must  be  made  between  a  well 
written  letter  from  a  standpoint  of  correct  English  and 
of  business  pulling  capacity.  Many  a  college  man  in 
command  of  perfect  English  could  not  handle  a  large 
correspondence  as  successfully  as  a  business  man  who 
has  a  heart  interest  in  the  matter. 

These  elements  must  enter  in :  A  correct  handling  of 
the  English  language,  perfect  understanding  of  the  busi- 
ness at  hand  and  a  practical  knowledge  of  human  nature. 
A  professional  correspondent  has  a  regular  system  in 
conducting  a  large  correspondence.  He  has,  in  the  first 
place,  his  "follow  up  letters,"  carefully  prepared,  each 
one  the  result  of  thought  and  painstaking  pruning.  No 
literary  worker  gives  more  attention  to  the  small  details 
of  his  composition  than  the  correspondent  gives  to  each 
of  his  letters.  He  arranges  the  whole  system  with  geo- 
metrical exactness  as  to  its  component  parts,  a  certain 
proportion  proposition  and  a  certain  proportion  argu- 
ment, varying  with  each  letter  from  first  to  last.    These 

—131— 


letters  are  written  and  rewritten,  pruned  and  repruned, 
until  the  correspondent  is  satisfied  they  contain  strong 
argument  arranged  in  order  to  be  most  impressive. 

Then  he  makes  notes  on  different  points  or  objections 
that  arise  or  are  hkely  to  do  so,  and  answers  each  of 
these  points  in  paragraphs  couched  in  the  cleverest  and 
most  convincing  language.  These  paragraphs  are  num- 
bered and  kept  for  ready  reference.  When  an  inquiry 
comes  in  that  is  already  answered  in  the  "stock  book" 
the  correspondent  has  only  to  refer  the  stenographer  to 
the  prepared  paragraph  and  add  the  individualizing 
touch.  In  this  way  the  correspondent  who  handles  200 
or  300  letters  a  day  can  do  so  with  perfect  satisfaction  to 
each  patron,  never  hurrying  a  letter,  never  omitting  an 
important  point,  and,  at  the  same  time,  not  overtaxing 
himself.  A  great  many  letters  require  individual  atten- 
tion, and  it  is  that  the  correspondent  may  handle  these 
in  the  most  satisfactory  manner  that  he  should  have  his 
stock  book  ready  to  handle  all  ordinary  cases.  It  is  a 
great  drain  to  dictate  a  large  number  of  letters,  and  the 
human  brain  will  lag,  the  right  words  refuse  to  come,  if 
all  the  helps  possible  are  not  resorted  to. 

The  Folloiv-Up  System. 

In  case  there  is  no  acknowledgment  of  the  receipt  of 
catalogue  or  reply  to  the  letter  transmitting  it,  a  series 
of  follow-up  letters  should  be  resorted  to.  The  following 
letters  are  presented  as  a  good  illustration  of  the  follow- 
up  system : 

—132— 


Letter  No.  i. 

Dear  Sir :  We  beg  to  remind  you  that  we  have  not 
received  your  response  to  our  letter  regarding  the  "Per- 
fection Gas  Heater." 

Feeling  sure  that  your  inquiry  was  made  because  you 
were  interested,  we  believe  your  failure  to  respond  was 
purely  an  oversight. 

Do  you  desire  further  particulars? 

That  the  "Perfection  Gas  Heater"  is  the  best  article  of 
the  kind  in  the  market  is  proved  by  the  enclosed  endorse- 
ments.    The  price  cannot  be  paralleled. 

Trusting  we  shall  receive  an  early  response,  and  as- 
suring you  that  in  case  of  your  ordering  the  heater,  if 
you  do  not  find  it  just  as  represented  you  may  return 
same  at  our  expense,  and  we  will  cheerfully  refund  the 
purchase  money,  we  remain. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Letter  No.  2. 

Dear  Sir :  We  have  not  yet  received  any  word  from 
you  since  we  complied  with  your  request  for  our  circular 
and  catalogue,  but  we  still  think  you  must  be  interested 
in  the  matter  of  getting  one  of  our  unequalled  "Perfec- 
tion Gas  Heaters."  There  is  nothing  else  that  can  take 
its  place,  and  those  who  have  purchased  one  wonder  how 
they  ever  got  along  without  it.  You  will  excuse  our 
friendly  persistence,  but  we  know  that  when  we  have 
secured  your  order  we  have  acquired  not  only  a  patron 
but  a  champion,  whose  influence  will  surely  bring  us  ad- 

—133— 


ditional  orders.  Our  proposition  is  to  send  you  the 
Heater  on  receipt  of  the  price  and  to  refund  the  purchase 
money  on  return  of  same  at  our  expense  any  time  within 
thirty  days  if  not  found  entirely  satisfactory. 

Expecting  an  early  response  from  you,  we  remain, 
Very  truly  yours, 

Letter  No.  3. 

Dear  Sir :  We  have  not  as  yet  received  any  response 
to  our  letters  notifying  you  of  our  compliance  with  your 
request  for  catalogue  and  circulars.  You  doubtless  have 
read  the  numerous  emphatic  endorsements  of  our  "Per- 
fection Gas  Heater"  by  patrons  who  have  used  it  (if  not, 
we  will  send  you  others  on  request),  and  we  cannot  but 
believe  that  you  are  interested  in  securing  one.  We  do 
not  want  you  to  forget  it  and  us  in  the  rush  of  other 
matters.  We  believe  your  inquiry  was  made  in  good 
faith,  else  we  would  not  have  gone  to  the  expense  of 
forwarding  our  printed  matter.  Our  records  thus  far 
show  no  response  of  any  sort  from  you.  The  days  are 
getting  shorter,  the  evening  hours  are  getting  chillier, 
and  your  health  and  comfort  demand  that  you  have  a 
little  artificial  heat  in  the  home  for  a  few  minutes  every 
•"day.  If  you  have  made  up  your  mind  that  you  are  not 
going  to  act  upon  our  favorable  proposition  to  secure  one 
of  the  quick-action  "Perfection  Gas  Heaters,"  which  sup- 
plies warmth  and  good  cheer  on  tap  for  a  minute,  an 
hour,  or  a  day,  won't  you  be  good  enough  to  let  us 
know  the  fact,  so  that  we  may  save  further  expense  to 
ourselves  and  trouble  to  you  in  posting  you  regarding  it  ? 

—134— 


As  a  matter  of  fair-dealing  we  are  entitled  to  some 
kind  of  a  reply. 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  foregoing  letters  show  the  spirit  in  which  follow- 
up  letters  should  be  couched,  but,  of  course,  different 
articles  require  different  arguments  in  order  to  make  the 
sale. 

The  follow-up  letter  should  never  be  impertinent  or 
show  resentment  because  your  letters  are  not  answered 
or  your  articles  purchased.  Wheedling  goes  a  great  way 
in  efifecting  a  sale,  while  nagging  almost  always  drives 
off  a  customer. 

Never  misrepresent  any  article  you  have  for  sale.  The 
days  of  the  "fake"  mail  business  are  over.  The  laws 
punishing  offenders  for  using  the  mails  to  defraud  the 
public  or  to  obtain  money  under  false  pretenses  are  very 
strict  and  severe.  Every  now  and  then  a  swindle  is 
brought  to  light,  but  the  government  is  stern  in  ferreting 
out  and  suppressing  such  enterprises.  It  was  the  govern- 
ment that  gave  the  mail  order  business  its  first  great  im- 
petus by  reducing  the  rate  of  postage,  and  it  is  the  gov- 
ernment that  has  doubled  the  total  trade  in  the  last  few 
years  by  establishing  the  rural  free  delivery  system. 


—135— 


PUNCTUATION 


So  much  depends  upon  correct  punctuation  in  business  correspon- 
dence, that  no  treatise  on  salesmanship  by  letter  would  be  complete 
without  explicit  information  regardmg  it. 

The  purpose  of  punctuation  is  to  show  the  relation  of  the  words 
employed  and  thereby  to  clearly  indicate  the  sense  or  meaning  that 
is  to  be  conveyed. 

The  principal  points  or  marks  in  punctuation  are:  the  comma  (,), 
the  semi-colon  (;),  the  colon  (:),  the  period  (.),  the  interrogation 
point  (?),  the  exclamation  point  (I),  the  dash  ( — ),  the  parentheses  ( ), 
the  bracket  [],   and  the  quotation  marks  (**  "). 

The  Comma  is  used  (1)  after  an  address:    "James,  come  here;" 

(2)  after  certain  introductory  adverbs,  as  however,  at  length,  at  last; 

(3)  preceding  which  or  who,  when  introducing  an  explanatory  clause  : 
"Think  no  man  poor,  who  has  laid  up  treasures  in  heaven."  When, 
however,  the  which  or  luho  is  used  in  a  restrictive  sense,  the  comma 
should  be  omitted:    "It  is  labor  only  «'//?V//  gives  relish  to  pleasure"; 

(4)  often  used  in  place  of  atiJ:  "We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then 
embrace  ;  (5)  to  indicate  contrast  or  opposition  :  "Not  only  in  union 
7iiith,  but  in  opposition  to,  the  views  and  conduct  of  one  another ;  " 
(6)  in  a  complex  sentence,  the  dependent  clause  should  be  separated 
from  the  principal  clause  by  a  comma  :  "When  our  vices  leave  us,  we 
flatter  ourselves  that  we  leave  them." 

The  Semicolon  is  used  (1)  when  two  or  more  simple  sentences 
are  combined  into  one  :  "My  friend  rose  at  six  o'clock  ;  he  breakfasted 
at  nine;  and  at  ten  went  out  for  a  walk;"  (2)  When  in  a  sentence 
complete   in   construction,    a   clause   is  added   containing   a  reason,  an 

—  136  — 


explanation,  an  inference,  or  a  contrast,  it  generally  should  be  preceded 
by  a  semicolon  :  "The  past  seems  to  promise  it ;  but  the  fulfillment 
depends  on  the  future." 

The  Colon  is  placed  after  such  expressions  as  in  these  words,  the 
following,  as  follows,  either  expressed  or  implied.  It  is  also  placeJ 
after  Dear  Sir,  etc.,  and  in  reference  to  Scripture  quotations,  ?.s 
Matt.   10  :  14. 

Ths  Period  is  placed  (1)  after  a  complete  sentence  that  is  not  an 
exclamation  or  an  interrogatory;  (2)  after  abbreviations,  as  "M.  D.," 
"Esq.,"  "Mr.,"  "Oct."  (3)  After  Roman  numerals,  as  "II.,"  "IV." 
(4)  After  a  signature  or  date. 

The  Interrogation  Point  is  placed  after  a  question. 

The  Exclamation  Point  is  placed  after  a  word,  expression,  or 
sentence,  denoting  astonishmeiit,  emotion  or  command. 

The  Dash  is  used  (1)  where  a  sentence  is  left  unfinished  ;  (2)  where 
there  is  a  sudJen  turn  or  an  abrupt  transition  ;  (3)  where  a  significant 
pause  is  required.     It  is  often  employed  in  place  of  the  parentheses. 

Parentheses  are  used  to  enclose  a  word,  phrase  or  remark  which 
is  merely  incidental  or  explanatory,  and  which  might  be  omitted  without 
injury  to  the  grammatical  construction  ;  as,  "Know  then  the  truth 
(enough  for  man  to  know). 

The  Brackets  are  used  to  enclose  some  explanatory  remark  or 
phrase  ;  now  used  principally  in  dictionaries  and  other  books  of  reference. 

The  Quotation  Marks  are  used  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  a 
phrase,  clause,  or  sentence  quoting  the  exact  words  of  an  author  or 
speaker.  When  a  quotation  is  included  within  another  it  is  distingui.^hed 
by  a  single  inverted  comma  at  the  beginning  aiid  an  apostrophe  at 
the  close. 

Division  into  Paragraphs.  —  In  letter-writing  a  proper  division 
into  paragraphs  adds  much  to  the  ease  of  reading  what  is  written.  Ceiri- 
mer.ciiig  on  a  new  line  the  transition  to  another  branch  ot  a  subject  is 
made  to  appear  clearly.  When  a  single  subjf'Ct  occupies  much  space, 
the  larger  divisions  of  it  should  form  separate  paragraphs,  each  of 
these  closing  with  sentiments  of  peculiar  importance. 

—  137  — 


Buying  Goods  by  Mail 

When  ordering  goods  by  letter  great  care  should 
be  taken  to  give  all  essential  particulars.  If  several 
items  are  ordered,  the  number  and  kind  of  each 
article  should  be  stated.  If  there  are  different 
styles,  sizes  or  qualities  of  any  articles  wanted, 
offered  at  different  prices,  the  style,  size  or  quality 
desired,  together  with  the  price,  should  be  given. 
How  the  goods  are  to  be  sent  should  invariably  be 
plainly  stated,  whether  by  freight,  express,  or  mail. 
If  by  freight  or  express,  the  railroad  or  express 
company  preferred  should  be  named.  If  the  goods 
are  to  be  sent  by  mail,  unless  advertised  to  be  sent 
postage  prepaid,  stamps  should  be  enclosed  to  cover 
postage,  or  the  amount  included  in  the  Postal  Money 
Order,  Express  Money  Order,  or  Chicago  or  New 
York   draft. 

The  letter  should  be  brief  and  explicit,  but  con- 
tain enough  explanation  to  make  perfectly  plain  what 
is  required,  and  the  address  to  which  the  goods  are 
to  be  sent  should  be  plainly  and  fully  given. 

When  goods  are  to  be  sent  C.  O.  D.,  and  the 
parties  are  not  known  to  the  firm,  it  is  always  more 
satisfactory  to  furnish  references — either  your  bank, 
or  some  responsible  person  in  the  town  or  neigh- 
borhood. 

—  138  — 


When  shipment  is  to  be  made  by  freight,  bill  of 
lading-  attached  to  draft,  collect,  it  is  invariably  more 
satisfactory  to  send  part  of  the  amount  with  the 
order,  because,  as  a  rule,  it  establishes  confidence 
and  thereby  strengthens  your  credit.  The  balance 
of  the  amount  should  be  paid  promptly  on  the  arrival 
of  the  goods,  and  it  will  also  save  storag-e  charg-es. 

The  following  forms  of  letters  ordering  goods  may 
be  readily  adapted  to  any  particular  case,  the  signa- 
tures and  orders  used  being*  fictitious,  merely  to 
show  correct  forms  of  complete  letters : 


Forms  of  Letters  Ordering  Goods. 

Form  No.  i. 

Havana,  Cuba,  March  12,  1910. 
Messrs.  A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 
Gentlemen  —  Your    new    catalogue    just   received. 
Please  send  us  cheapest  way,  at  once  : 

2  doz.       Dustless  blackboard  erasers  No.  2711 
1  gross  XXX  blackboard  chalk,  white 

5  M  XXX  high  cut,  all  rag-  white  envelopes, 

6^  size 
1  gross  No.  9976  lead  pencils 

1  doz.      No.  7421  pencil  erasers 

3  doz.      No.  A279  pen  tablets,  letter  size 

2  doz.      No.  A281  pen  tablets,  note  size 

6  doz.      Laird  &  Lee's  Webster's  Modern  Dic- 

tionary, Handy  Edition,  list  20c 
—  139  — 


2  doz.      Laird  &  Lee's  Vest-Pocket  Webster 

Dictionary,  leather,  25c. 
V2  doz.      Standard  Ice  Cream  Maker,  $1.50 
/4   doz.      Standard  Guide  for  Locomotive  Engi- 
neers and  Firemen,  75c 
2  doz.      Standard  Spanish  Dictionary,  leather,  50c 
Very  truly  yours, 

Jones  &  Jacques. 


[2] 

No.  17  Main  Street, 
No.  Yakima,  Wash.,  Sept.  6,  1910. 
The  S.  S.   Gibson  Co., 

Oakland,  Cal. 
Gentlemen:  —  Please  send  me  copy  of  Parker's 
Laws  of  Business,  bound  in  law  canvas,  on  terms 
advertised  by  you  in  circular  received  today.  If 
on  examination  I  find  the  book  satisfactory,  I  will 
remit  $4.50  as  payment  in  full :  but  if  I  do  not  find  it 
as  represented,  will  notify  you  to  send  stamps  for  its 
return.  Truly  yours, 

R.  B.  Martin. 


[3] 
Chelsea,  Vt.,  March  8,  1910, 

Messrs.  Laird  &  Lee, 

263  Wabash  Ave.,   Chicago,  III. 
Gentlemefi:  —  Please  send   by  Am.   Express,  pre- 
paid, the  following-  books : 

—  140  — 


Laird  &  Lee's  Webster's  New  Stand- 
ard Dictionary,  High  School  and 
Collegiate  Edition, $1.50 

Standard  Guide  for  Locomotive  Engi- 
neers and  Firemen, 75 

Standard  Domestic  Science  Cook  Book, 

leather  (Gift  Edition,  in  a  box),   .     .      2.50 


$4.75 
I  enclose  money-order  for  $4.75   in  payment  for 
above,  which  please  forward  at  once  as  directed. 
Very  truly  yours, 

James  Robinson. 


[4] 

PoTTSTOwN,  Pa.,  April  3,  1910. 
Messrs.  Marshall  Field  &  Co.^ 
Chicago^  III. 
Gentlemen:  —  Please  send  the  following  goods  by 
express : 

1  pair  ladies'  No.  6  pique  kid  street  gloves,  $2.00 

2  ladies'  white  lace-edged  linen  handkerchiefs, 

best  you  have  at  about  85c  each  ; 

3  white  jet-trimmed  jabots,  your  best  values  at 

about  $1.00  each. 

I  enclose  money-order  lor  $10.00,  and  ask  that  yon 
will  please  prepay  express  charges  out  of  balance, 
and    credit    me    with    remainder,   pending   another 
order  or  instructions  to  return  the  amount. 
Very  truly  yours, 

(Miss)  Ethel  Thayer. 

—  141  — 


m 

436  Oak  Street, 

Bloomington,  Nev.,  Jan.  9,  1910. 
Messrs.  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co. 
Chicago,  III, 
Gentlemen: — Please  send  to  my  address  cheapest 
way,  the  following : 

1  Crown  Jewel  Oil  Heater,  ....     $3.50 
1  Pony  Premo    No.  1    Camera,   size 

picture  4x5  inches, 10.80 


$14.30 
I  enclose  money-order  for  $14.30,  and  ask  that  you 
kindly  send  goods  as  soon  as  possible. 
Truly  yours, 

James  A.  Smith. 

[6] 

Butte,  Mont.,  Feb.  21,  1910. 
Messrs.  Sears,  Roebuck  &-  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 
Gentlemen — Please  forward  by  cheapest  way  at 
once,         1  No.  7682  saddle,     ....     $36.25 
1  No.  2167  bridle,     ....        7.15 


$43.40 
I    enclose    Chicago  draft  for  the  amount,  $43.40. 
Kindly  ship  promptly  and  oblige. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

Ike  Thomas. 
Care  Benton's  Hardware  Store. 

—  142  — 


HOW  TO  WIN. 

What  is  the  prime  requisite  of  success  ?  It  can  be  told 
in  one  word — Faith. 

It  is  first  necessary  that  a  salesman  should  have  faith 
in  the  proposition  and  in  the  goods  he  is  selling.  Second, 
he  must  have  an  invincible  faith  in  himself  if  he  hopes  to 
win  unqualified  success. 

The  salesman  who  starts  out  with  a  line  in  a  half- 
hearted way,  or  starts  out  with  the  intention  of  simply 
trying  out  the  line  to  see  if  it  will  sell  is  doomed  to 
failure  at  the  start,  because  he  lacks  the  positive  quality 
of  Faith — Faith  in  the  goods,  and  Faith  in  his  ability  to 
sell  them. 

Faith  in  your  goods  springs  primarily  from  faith  in 
the  firm  or  individual  for  whom  you  are  working.  And 
it  should  not  be  -the  simple  faith  that  is  founded  on  blind 
confidence,  but  the  faith  that  is  the  result  of  analysis 
and  absolute  knowledge, 

A  salesman  should  make  sure  that  those  for  whom  he 
is  working  are  of  unimpeachable  integrity ;  that  the 
things  they  have  to  sell  will  be  a  benefit  or  an  advantage 
to  the  purchaser ;  and  that  the  firm  or  individual  is  in  a 
position  to  carry  out  whatever  they  agree  to  do. 

—143— 


When  the  salesman  is  satisfied  on  these  three  points, 
he  has  the  basis  of  a  confidence  that  should  be  absolute 
and  unshakable. 

Remember  this :  No  one  concern  has  the  best  line  at 
the  lowest  prices.  If  this  were  possible,  the  concern  pro- 
ducing the  articles  could  get  all  the  capital  it  would  need 
to  make  goods  for  the  entire  country  and  drive  every 
one  else  out  of  business. 

Experienced  merchants  do  not  expect  to  be  always 
buying  the  best  goods  at  the  lowest  prices.  They  know 
that  certainty  on  that  point  is  impossible.  All  they  wish 
to  be  sure  of  is  that  they  are  buying  reliable  goods  that 
they  can  sell  at  a  profit. 

Nine-tenths  of  the  salesmen  traveling  around  the  coun- 
try are  constantly  making  the  assertion,  "I  have  the  best 
line  on  earth,"  and  wonder  why  the  assertion  carries  no 
conviction  to  the  merchant.  They  do  not  realize  that 
the  psychological  value  of  the  word  "best"  is  practically 
nil,  and  in  many  cases  absolutely  negative. 

In  the  first  place,  the  word  has  been  so  overworked 
that  it  produces  no  effect.  In  the  second  place,  it  is  only 
a  broad  generality;  there  is  nothing  specific  or  definite 
about  it,  and  is  therefore  incapable  of  exciting  any  in- 
ducement or  desire  to  buy. 

Get  away  from  the  idea  that  you  must  convince  a 
buyer  that  you  have  the  best  line  on  earth.  Instead,  you 
must  remember  that  the  merchant's  motive  for  starting 
in  business  was  to  make  money — not  merely  to  handle 
the  best  goods.  You  have  something  in  your  line  that 
will  make  money  for  the  merchant ;  show  it  to  him  from 

—144-^ 


his  standpoint  and  you  will  have  his  immediate  interest. 
After  you  have  sold  a  merchant  one  order  you  will  find 
it  easier  to  sell  him  again. 

Remember  always :  You  must  have  faith  in  your  goods. 

Faith  in  Yourself. 

While  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  a  salesman 
should  have  faith  in  his  goods,  it  is  equally  as  important 
that  he  should  have  faith  in  himself.  This  faith  should 
spring  from  a  strong  character,  otherwise  it  is  nothing 
more  than  an  empty  conceit  that  is  liable  to  embarrass- 
ment and  discomfiture  at  any  moment. 

A  strong  character  is  only  formed  by  cultivating  Self- 
Control,  Self-Confidence,  and  Poise,  and  eliminating 
Doubt  and  Fear. 

Self-Control. 

To  cultivate  self-control,  a  salesman  must  learn  to 
restrain  his  impulses.  Not  only  such  impulses  as  anger, 
impatience,  intolerance,  indiscreet  excitement,  etc.,  but 
also  the  impulse  that  leads  to  injudicious  remarks  which 
may  at  the  moment  seem  a  happy  inspiration,  but  which 
in  reality  endanger  the  success  of  the  sale. 

In  many  cases  there  are  certain  things  that  should  be 
suppressed,  or  not  touched  upon,  and  it  often  requires  as 
much  tact  and  judgment  to  suppress  or  avoid  detrimental 
ideas  as  it  does  to  express  those  that  are  essential. 

Tact  and  judgment  are  inseparable,  and  self-control 
is  highly  necessary  to  both. 

—145— 


Self-Confidence. 

Self-confidence  is  indispensable  to  success  in  salesman- 
ship. Not  the  brazen,  obtrusive,  antagonistic  self-confi- 
dence that  steels  a  buyer's  mind  against  such  a  bearing, 
and  creates  dislike,  but  the  calm,  unconscious  self-confi- 
dence that  creates  respect  and  conveys  the  impression 
that  you  are  representing  a  proposition  that  is  worthy  of 
consideration. 

Self-confidence  engenders  self-reliance,  and  it  is  need- 
less to  say  that  without  self-reliance  a  salesman  can 
never  succeed. 

Self-confidence  is  a  positive  power,  and  is  the  result 
of  knowing  oneself,  his  ability,  his  deficiencies,  and 
overcoming  or  supplying  those  deficiencies ;  otherwise 
it  is  nothing  more  than  mere  self-assurance,  or  self- 
delusion.     Don't  yield  to  that  human  pest,  fear. 

Poise. 

Poise  is  the  armor  of  the  mind.  It  turns  off  adverse 
suggestions  or  arguments  with  the  ease  of  the  skilled 
fencer  who  parries  a  thrust. 

Poise  suspends  judgment  long  enough  to  subject  a 
doubt  to  analysis,  but  the  mental  balance  is  not  disturbed. 

Poise  is  proof  against  embarrassment  and  disconcer- 
tion. It  gives  the  power  to  neutralize  inimical  ideas  by 
a  calm  suggestion  that  turns  an  argument  into  another 
variation  and  changes  the  aspect  of  things.  Forceful 
opposition  is  by  this  means  turned  into  doubt. 

—146— 


The  secret  of  poise  lies  in  concentration,  self-posses- 
sion, and  in  knowing  your  proposition  so  thoroughly  that 
you  can  talk  it  backward  or  forward,  and  both  ways 
from  the  middle,  so  that  it  requires  no  mental  exertion  to 
combat  opposition.  The  ideas  necessary  to  neutralize  or 
influence  should  come  spontaneously,  so  that  the  mind  is 
allowed  to  concentrate  itself  upon  the  one  idea:  "You 
should  have  my  goods." 

This  mental  attitude  will  be  a  positive  factor  in  helping 
you  to  m.ake  sales,  and  establish  friendships. 

Eliminating  Doubt  and  Fear. 

There  is  not  a  salesman  living  who  has  not  been  wor- 
ried by  doubt  and  dismayed  by  fear  in  one  form  or 
another. 

Doubt  is  a  precursor  of  fear.  It  commences  in  hesi- 
tation or  indecision,  and,  unless  the  antidote  of  success- 
ful analysis  is  applied,  enervating  fear  ensues.  With  fear 
in  the  ascendency,  success  is  impossible. 

Auto-suggestion  is  constantly  being  recommended  as 
a  cure  for  fear.  This  means  that  if  a  man  repeats  to 
himself:  'T  am  not  afraid — I  am  courageous,"  and  pic- 
tures himself  as  being  courageous  in  action,  he  will  come 
to  feel  that  he  is  not  afraid. 

This  is  very  good  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  does  not  go 
far  enough.  It  can  only  be  an  aid,  or  a  palliative,  but 
not  a  positive  cure.    Let  us  tell  you  why : 

Fear  is  caused  by  ignorance.  In  order  to  cure  a  dis- 
ease, or  an  evil,  it  is  necessary  to  remove  or  destroy  the 


cause.     True  knowledge  is  the  only  destroyer  of  igno- 
rance. 

Let  us  illustrate:  A  child  tries  to  open  an  oven  door 
with  its  bare  hand.  The  door  is  very  hot  and  the  child 
is  burned.  Thereafter  the  child  is  afraid  to  touch  the 
oven  door  until  it  learns  that  by  protecting  its  hand  with 
a  cloth  it  can  open  the  door  without  being  burned.  When 
it  learns  this,  it  has  gained  knowledge,  and  the  knowl- 
edge has  killed  the  ignorance.  The  child  is  no  longer 
afraid. 

Again :  A  salesman  is  asked  to  solicit  the  business  of 
a  man  of  large  affairs.  The  salesman  doubts  his  ability 
to  sell  the  man.  He  says  to  himself:  'This  man  knows 
more  about  the  business  than  I  do."  The  fear  of  failure 
grips  him.  He  determines,  however,  to  make  the  at- 
tempt, but  is  worsted.  After  leaving  the  man  he  analyzes 
the  situation,  and  finally  sees  where  he  has  made  a  mis- 
take, or  how  he  can  overcome  the  objections  that  have 
been  raised.  He  has  learned  something  and  is  no  longer 
afraid.  He  returns  full  of  confidence  and  shows  the 
man  where  they  have  both  overlooked  the  true  state  of 
affairs.  The  man  sees  that  it  is  to  his  advantage  to 
deal  with  the  salesman,  and  places  his  order. 

Had  the  salesman  allowed  his  fear  to  deter  him  from 
making  the  attempt,  he  would  have  remained  unenlight- 
ened ;  tlie  sale  would  not  have  been  made,  and  ignorance 
would  have  been  the  cause  of  it  all. 

When  a  salesman  learns  that  the  most  fatal  conse- 
quence of  failing  to  make  a  sale  is  a  gaining  of  knowl- 
edge, he  will  no  longer  be  afraid. 

—148— 


The  Motive  Power. 

The  motive  power,that  drives  men  to  success  is  derived 
from  Ambition,  Enthusiasm,  and  Determination. 

True  ambition  incites  a  salesman  to  action ;  it  will  not 
allow  him  to  remain  inactive. 

Enthusiasm  gives  a  salesman  a  genuine  liking  for  his 
work,  and  without  a  genuine  liking  for  his  occupation  no 
salesman  can  succeed. 

Determination  gives  a  salesman  the  tenacity  of  pur- 
pose— the  stick-to-itiveness — that  is  necessary  to  accom- 
plish anything  that  is  worth  while. 

Many  a  general  on  the  battlefield  has  been  whipped, 
but  he  did  not  let  himself  or  his  men  know  it,  and  in  the 
end  has  won  great  victories.  The  salesman  who  can  cope 
with  the  most  discouraging  conditions  many  times  wins 
the  greatest  success. 

(A  few  of  the  following  lines  may  give  offense  to 
some  of  our  readers.  If  so,  we  shall  be  glad  for  their 
sake.  Some  men  must  be  stung  to  the  quick  before  they 
can  be  impelled  to  action.) 

The  salesman  without  ambition  is  figuratively  the 
tramp  of  the  business  world.  The  tramp  gives  no 
thought  to  the  future — he  is  always  living  in  the  ever- 
present  now.  He  has  chosen  the  profession  of  tramping 
because  it  is  the  easiest  way  of  existing  until  he  is 
claimed  by  the  Potter's  Field.  Work  to  him  is  a  natural 
evil ;  it  causes  pain,  distress,  and  is  a  calamity.  Thought 
to  him  is  a  moral  evil,  for  it  is  unjust  to  make  men 
think.    He  is  lazy — both  physically  and  mentally. 

—149— 


The  salesman  who  is  physically  and  mentally  lazy  chose 
the  profession  of  salesmanship  because  it  appealed  to  him 
as  an  easy  path  to  success,  entailing  but  little  work,  re- 
quiring no  brains,  and  affording  him  the  pleasures  and 
comforts  of  life  with  the  least  possible  effort.  He  no 
doubt  had  ambition  when  he  aspired  to  become  a  sales- 
man, but  when  his  aspiration  was  realized  his  ambition 
died  an  ignoble  death. 

No  salesman  who  is  devoid  of  ambition  can  ever  hope 
to  attain  permanent  success.  Through  a  happy  combina- 
tion of  circumstances  he  may  prosper  for  a  while,  but 
when  the  circumstances  that  have  favored  him  are  altered 
he  is  necessarily  doomed  to  failure,  for  he  lacks  the  qual- 
ities that  sustain  the  salesman  urged  on  by  ambition. 

Self-satisfaction,  Indifference,  and  Resignation  are 
three  great  foes  to  Ambition  and  Success. 

Self-satisfaction  causes  a  man  to  lean  back  in  his  chair 
and  say :  "I  have  done  well  enough  for  a  while,  and  now 
I'll  take  a  rest." 

This  is  going  backward,  for  you  must  either  progress 
or  suffer  retrogression ;  there  is  no  standing  still.  Fur- 
thermore, a  frequent  repetition  of  this  resting  will  engen- 
der a  love  of  ease  that  will  be  hard  to  overcome. 

Indifference  leads  to  carelessness,  and  carelessness  is 
heedless  of  consequences.  When  you  disregard  conse- 
quences you  are  rendering  your  judgment  worthless. 

A  salesman  must  constantly  exercise  his  judgment, 
otherwise  he  will  do  or  say  something  that  will  prove 
fatal  to  him. 

Resignation  is  the  harbinger  or  acknowledgment  of 
—150— 


defeat.  To  resign  yourself  to  circumstances  is  an  ad- 
mission of  a  broken  spirit.  Once  your  spirit  is  broken, 
your  chances  for  success  are  almost  hopeless.  There  are 
very  few  who  have  been  able  to  regenerate  themselves 
after  yielding  to  the  enervating  influence  of  resignation. 

When  you  feel  yourself  slipping  backward  to  resig- 
nation, then  comes  the  supreme  test  of  your  character. 
Then  is  the  time  when  you  determine  whether  you  are  a 
weakling  and  are  ready  to  join  the  down  and  out  class, 
or  whether  you  have  the  power  within  you  that  has  been 
lying  dorm.ant  through  neglect,  and  are  able  to  arouse 
that  power  to  a  pitch  of  sublime  courage  that  arises  and 
says  to  failure  when  it  calls  to  claim  you  for  its  own: 
"No!  I  do  not  belong  to  you.  Even  though  you  have 
loaned  me  fear,  discouragement,  and  depression,  I  did 
not  bargain  to  pay  my  soul  in  usury.  Here !  take  them 
back.  I  want  them  no  longer,  but  I  defy  you  to  collect 
your  usury." 

There  is  a  courage  that  is  born  of  desperation  that  has 
pulled  many  a  man  from  the  very  jaws  of  failure.  It 
seems  to  lash  every  idle  faculty  into  action  and  generates 
a  power  that  is  almost  irresistible.  These  men  were  in- 
different to  the  power  that  lay  within  them  until  they 
were  absolutely  forced  to  exert  it.  Would  it  not  have 
been  better  to  have  cultivated  and  used  this  power  during 
the  time  they  were  on  the  road  to  failure?  Much  time 
would  have  been  saved  and  they  would  consequently  be 
farther  ahead.  The  reason  in  many  cases  lies  in  the  lack 
of  genuine  ambition. 

Men  of  genuine  ambition  are  not  plentiful.  The  ma- 
—151— 


jority  of  men  are  only  half  ambitious ;  that  is,  they  have 
a  desire  for  wealth ;  they  have  a  desire  to  be  somebody, 
but  they  lack  activity — activity  of  both  mind  and  body. 

The  genuinely  ambitious  salesman  is  constantly  and 
always  thinking;  studying  when  he  has  a  chance,  and 
seeking  knowledge  that  will  aid  him  in  his  business.  He 
has  an  unalterable  belief  in  his  ultimate  success,  and 
works  to  that  end. 

In  closing  on  this  subject,  we  would  warn  the  sales- 
man against  self-indulgence.  It  leads  to  a  love  of  ease 
and  ends  in  idleness  and  dissatisfaction  with  one's  self. 

Originality  and  Resourcefulness. 

The  value  of  originality  lies  in  its  power  to  hold  atten- 
tion and  create  thought.  It  invests  a  subject  with  a  new 
character  and  therefore  gives  it  a  novelty  that  charms 
the  imagination. 

There  is  nothing  wonderful  about  originality ;  its  secret 
lies  in  knowing  how  to  combine  two  or  more  old  ideas, 
or  things,  that  will  form  something  new. 

To  be  a  creator  of  original  ideas  it  is  necessary  to  ac- 
quire knowledge,  and  then  digest  it.  After  you  have 
digested  that  knowledge,  the  ideas  that  constitute  it  be- 
come part  of  yourself,  and  the  balance  merely  lies  in 
fitting  your  different  ideas  together  as  you  would  a  jig- 
saw puzzle.    That  is  all  there  is  to  originality. 

Resourcefulness  is  fertility  in  expedients.  In  order  to 
become  resourceful,  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  fund  of 
ideas  that  you  can  draw  upon,  and  use,  instantaneously. 

—152— 


This  will  give  you  the  ability  to  overcome  or  circumvent 
obstacles  that  would  otherwise  overwhelm  you. 

Originality,  Ingenuity,  and  Resourcefulness  are  closely 
allied.  They  all  come  from  the  same  source;  namely, 
the  ability  to  combine  ideas. 

Learn  to  combine  your  ideas. 

When  accepting  a  position  be  careful  to  observe  the 
rules. 

If  smoking,  chewing  tobacco,  using  profane  language 
or  chewing  gum  is  not  allowed  in  the  establishment  it 
is  important  that  you  yourself  should  live  up  to  the  re- 
quirements. 

Be  temperate,  truthful  and  persevering,  because  this  is 
a  lasting  asset  that  is  sure  to  count  in  your  favor. 

Whenever  you  can  set  a  helpful  example  for  others 
don't  miss  the  opportunity.  While  the  proprietor  or 
manager  may  not  at  the  time  seem  to  notice  you,  remem- 
ber the  trained  business  eye  most  always  sees  what's 
going  on,  and  the  day  may  come  when  you  may  be 
advanced  to  a  higher  position  as  leader  while  others  will 
be  still  lagging  behind  as  followers. 


—153- 


THE  RETAIL  SALESMAN. 

While  there  is  a  difference  between  seUing  at  whole- 
sale and  selling  at  retail,  it  must  be  understood  that  the 
principles  of  salesmanship  are  the  same  in  both.  The 
principles  outlined  in  the  preceding  pages  are  applicable 
to  the  retail  business  as  well  as  the  wholesale. 

The  main  difference  between  the  retail  and  wholesale 
salesman  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  retail  salesman  waits 
for  customers  to  come  into  the  store,  whereas  the 
wholesale  salesman  must  go  out  and  make  customers.  But 
after  customer  and  salesman  are  brought  together  there 
is  as  a  rule  practically  no  difference ;  the  mental  process 
is  the  same  whether  you  are  selling  one  shirt  at  retail  or 
ten  dozen  at  wholesale. 

The  retail  salesman,  as  well  as  the  wholesale  salesman, 
must  have  a  genuine  liking  for  his  work.  It  is,  in  fact, 
the  only  road  to  success. 

No  employer  likes  to  have  a  salesman  who  regards 
his  work  as  a  hardship.  He  knows  that  the  salesman 
will  be  indifferent  toward  his  customers,  and  careless  of 
his  stock.  He  knows  that  the  salesman  will  hurry 
through  everything  so  that  he  may  be  alone  with  his 
oppressive  brooding  and  discontent. 

—154— 


Probably  the  first  question  an  employer  should  ask 
a  salesman  applying  for  a  position  is  whether  he  likes 
his  calling,  and  then  judge  his  man  from  the  manner 
in  which  he  answers. 

A  strong  liking  for  his  work  is  the  anchor  that  holds 
a  man  to  his  job.  When  it  is  necessary  to  lay  off  some 
of  the  force  of  salesmen,  this  man  remains,  while  those 
who  are  indifferent  to  their  work  are  usually  laid  off. 

Many  salesmen  overlook  the  opportunities  that  the 
field  of  retail  merchandising  affords.  First :  It  gives  an 
opportunity  of  learning  business  methods.  Second :  It 
gives  an  opportunity  of  learning  merchandise.  Third :  It 
gives  an  opportunity  for  studying  human  nature  in  the 
act  of  spending  money. 

These  three  things  are  invaluable  to  the  retail  sales- 
man who  is  saving  money  to  start  in  business  for  him- 
self. He  is  enabled,  through  the  knowledge  and  expe- 
rience he  acquires,  to  avoid  many  mistakes  that  would 
otherwise  cost  him  very  dearly  were  he  to  start  in  busi- 
ness without  experience. 

Again,  a  salesman  has  an  opportunity  of  becoming  a 
buyer,  superintendent,  assistant  manager,  manager,  or 
head  of  some  of  the  various  departments  in  a  large 
establishment.  In  a  small  establishment  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility of  being  taken  in  as  a  partner. 

Furthermore,  it  should  not  be  understood  that  the  pay 
of  the  retail  salesman  is  always  small.  There  are  many 
salesmen  in  the  larger  cities  making  from  twenty-five  to 
sixty  dollars  per  week.  They  are  men  who  have  im- 
proved their  opportunities. 

—155— 


To  the  retail  salesman  who  is  desirous  of  becoming  a 
traveling  salesman  it  may  be  said  that  some  of  the  best 
traveling  salesmen  were  retail  salesmen  before  they 
started  on  the  road. 

There  is  one  thing  that  a  salesman  should  see  in  the 
proper  light,  and  that  is,  his  employer  has  paid  good 
money  for  every  article  he  has  in  stock.  It  is  therefore 
the  salesman's  duty  to  keep  the  stock  entrusted  to  his  care 
in  a  clean  and  undamaged  condition.  Otherwise  the  loss 
incurred  through  damaged  goods  will  eat  up  much  of 
the  profit  that  is  made  on  other  goods.  It  is  hard  enough 
to  buy  the  right  goods,  without  the  additional  handicap 
of  having  them  damaged.  The  salesman  cannot  be 
loyal  to  his  employer  if  he  allows  his  goods  to  become 
damaged. 

In  keeping  stock  a  salesman  should  have  a  system 
whereby  he  can  lay  his  hands  on  any  article  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice.  The  stock  can  be  kept  according  to  price, 
size,  color,  style,  or  according  to  any  peculiarity  or  dis- 
similarity that  differentiates  one  thing  from  another. 

Your  stock  should  be  kept  in  such  a  manner  that,  if 
you  were  to  be  detained  from  business  for  a  time,  another 
man  could  step  into  your  stock  and  become  familiar  with 
it  in  a  short  while. 

Some  men  are  so  small  and  petty-minded  that  they 
imagine  that  they  have  a  hold  upon  their  employer  by 
keeping  their  stock  in  such  a  manner  that  only  they  them- 
selves can  find  the  articles  wanted. 

The  salesman  should  get  that  idea  out  of  his  head 
immediately.     No   employer   will   allow  himself  to  be 

^156— 


coerced  in  such  a  manner.  He  will  simply  wait  for  an 
opportunity  to  discharge  such  salesman,  and  his  recom- 
mendation to  another  place  may  not  be  of  the  best. 

As  to  knowing  the  goods  and  prices  he  is  handling,  a 
salesman  should  learn  all  that  he  possibly  can.  His 
knowledge  is  his  stock  in  trade ;  it  is  the  ladder  by  which 
he  climbs  higher  and  still  higher. 

The  story  of  how  a  young  dry  goods  salesman  rose  to 
the  position  of  buyer  in  a  few  years  through  knowledge 
will  illustrate  this  point.  This  salesman  was  employed  in 
a  piece  goods  department  of  a  dry  goods  store  in  a  large 
city.  One  day  the  salesman  was  requested  by  the  buyer 
to  bring  him  samples  of  all  the  fancy  woven  goods  he 
had  in  stock.  That  means  that  the  colors  are  dyed  in 
the  yarn  before  they  are  woven.  Among  the  samples 
brought  to  the  buyer  was  one  that  was  printed  on  both 
sides  in  close  imitation  of  woven  goods.  When  the  buyer 
saw  this  sample  he  picked  it  up  and  tossed  it  to  the 
salesman,  saying,  "I  don't  want  that;  it's  not  woven, 
you  'know-nothing.'  "  The  salesman  picked  up  the  sam- 
ple, pulled  out  a  few  threads  and  saw  that  it  was  printed. 
Right  then  and  there  he  resolved  never  again  to  deserve 
the  name  of  "know-nothing." 

That  evening  he  went  to  the  public  library  and  secured 
a  dry  goods  dictionary.  From  this  dictionary  he  learned 
the  names  of  the  different  materials.  During  his  lunch 
hours  he  would  go  to  different  stores  and  get  samples  of 
materials  he  wished  to  know  about.  He  secured  sam- 
ples of  the  same  materials  at  different  prices  from  all 

—157— 


the  big  stores.  He  then  compared  them  and  in  this  way 
was  able  to  learn  much  regarding  values. 

He  then  took  up  the  study  of  textiles ;  learned  the  dif- 
ference between  woven,  knitted,  and  felted  goods,  and 
how  they  were  manufactured.  He  learned  about  bleach- 
ing, dyeing,  printing,  and  how  patterns  are  extracted 
from  goods  dyed  in  the  piece.  He  learned  the  difference 
between  vegetable  and  animal  fibres,  and  how  they  were 
combined  in  manufacture.  In  fact,  within  a  few  months 
he  acquired  a  mass  of  knowledge  that  he  might  never 
have  gained  through  actual  experience. 

He  then  set  to  work  to  put  this  knowledge  to  use. 
Going  to  the  different  stores  that  handled  the  same  goods 
as  his  department,  he  secured  samples  which  he  com- 
pared with  the  goods  in  his  stock.  He  saw  that  some 
of  the  stores  were  selling  goods  that  could  be  handled 
to  advantage  in  his  department,  and  suggested  this  to  the 
buyer. 

It  was  quite  a  surprise  to  the  buyer  to  see  the  "know- 
nothing"  making  suggestions  to  him,  but  he  saw  that 
the  young  man  was  right.  To  probe  the  depth  of  the 
young  man's  knowledge,  the  buyer  asked  him  several 
questions,  which  were  answered  promptly  and  correctly. 
The  buyer  said  nothing  at  the  time,  but  simply  thanked 
the  young  man  for  his  suggestions. 

Not  long  afterward  the  buyer's  assistant  was  dis- 
charged and  the  young  man  was  promoted  to  the  posi- 
tion of  assistant  buyer.  Some  years  later  the  buyer  was 
offered  a  position  at  a  larger  salary  by  a  concern  in 
another  city,  which  he  deemed  advisable  to  accept.  When 

—158— 


tendering  his  resignation,  the  buyer  recommended  the 
young  man  whom  he  had  called  a  "know-nothing"  as  his 
successor.  The  management,  who  had  been  keeping  a 
watch  on  the  young  man  for  some  time,  decided  that  he 
was  fit  to  fill  the  position,  and  he  was  made  a  buyer. 

The  foregoing  illustration  contrasts  strikingly  with  the 
indifferent  and  careless  salesmen  we  meet  daily  in  any 
retail  establishment,  small  or  large.  Many  of  them  are 
constantly  drifting  about  from  place  to  place;  always 
dissatisfied,  but  their  dissatisfaction  is  not  of  the  kind 
that  fills  them  with  an  ambition  to  learn  more,  earn  more, 
and  be  somebody. 

The  salesman  whose  services  are  confined  to  a  single 
department  has  the  opportunity  of  becoming  a  specialist 
in  his  line,  while  the  man  who  sells  various  lines  has  an 
opportunity  of  gaining  a  wider  scope  of  knowledge  that 
will  enable  him  to  get  a  position  at  any  time  he  may 
need  it.  To  the  latter,  however,  it  should  be  said  that 
it  is  best  to  know  one  line  well  and  the  balance  as  well 
as  you  can.  It  is  the  specialist  who  makes  the  most 
money  nowadays. 

Regarding  a  salesman  and  his  customer,  it  should  be 
said  that  a  salesman  cannot  treat  all  customers  in  the 
same  manner ;  but  there  is  a  manner  that  a  salesman  will 
do  well  to  cultivate :  This  manner  is  a  commingling  of 
respect  for  himself,  respect  for  his  customer,  and  respect 
for  the  goods  he  is  selling. 

At  this  manner  no  one  can  take  offense,  and  from  this 
manner  you  can  quickly  change  to  any  manner  to  which 
it  may  be  necessary  to  adapt  yourself. 

—159— 


It  is  often  both  laughable  and  irritating  to  be  waited 
upon  by  a  smirking,  over-polite  salesman.  His  affecta- 
tion and  exaggerated  effort  to  please,  instead  of  pleasing, 
creates  contempt. 

There  are  some  salesmen  who  are  discourteous,  and 
others  who  are  indifferent.  The  fault  in  many  cases  lies 
in  their  not  having  been  shown  the  right  way  of  thinking. 

If  a  salesman  will  constantly  think  from  his  employer's 
standpoint,  he  will  acquire  a  training  that  will  give  him 
a  mental  attitude  that  is  beyond  price. 

Next  in  importance  to  knowing  his  goods  is  knowing 
his  customers,  their  wants  and  their  ability  to  purchase. 
The  high-class  salesman  makes  it  a  point  to  first  find 
out  what  his  customer  can  buy,  and  when  he  has  learned 
just  about  what  is  wanted  as  to  material,  style,  price,  etc., 
there  is  not  much  effort  required  to  make  the  sale. 

The  inexperienced  salesman  shows  goods  at  random, 
and  it's  a  mere  matter  of  luck  if  he  happens  to  hit  upon 
what  the  customer  wants.  From  lack  of  information  that 
might  have  been  obtained  for  the  asking,  he  is  likely  to 
show  the  prospective  purchaser  something  he  or  she 
might  want,  but  was  unable  to  pay  for,  and  which  might 
be  liked  so  well  that  anything  of  a  cheaper  grade  would 
cause  dissatisfaction.  And  then  a  person  dislikes  to  ask 
the  salesman  if  he  hasn't  something  cheaper,  as  this  is 
offensive  to  one's  self-esteem.  Many  a  possible  sale  is 
lost  in  this  way. 

Another  common  mistake  of  the  inexperienced  sales- 
man is  to  excite  a  negative  suggestion  in  the  mind  of  a 
customer  by  the  query :  "There's  nothing  else  I  can  show 

—160— 


you,  is  there?"  To  which  it  is  but  natural  for  the  cus- 
tomer to  respond:  "No,  I  think  not."  Now,  an  experi- 
enced salesman  invariably  so  words  his  inquiry  as  to 
awaken  a  positive  suggestion.  For  instance,  after  a  pur- 
chase has  been  made  or  a  customer  has  reached  a  deci- 
sion not  to  buy  the  articles  shown,  the  expert  salesman 
will  ask :  "What  else  can  I  show  you  ?"  Or  he  will  show 
some  popular  novelty  and  say:  "Here  is  something  in 
the  line  of  the  goods  you  were  asking  about  that  we  are 
having  quite  a  run  on — perhaps  this  might  be  just  what 
you  want." 

The  natural  or  real  salesman  knows  but  one  purpose, 
and  that  is,  to  produce  profitable  results  for  his  employer. 
This  makes  for  his  own  advancement. 

Be  always  optimistic. 

"Turn  your  face  to  the  sun  and  the  shadows  will  fall 
behind  you." 


~161-# 


DRESS,    APPEARANCE,    AND   WHAT   IT 

MEANS. 

A  salesman  is  generally  judged  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  dresses.  In  fact,  his  dress  is  an  index  to  his 
character.  A  salesman  who  wears  flashy  jewelry,  gaudy 
neckwear,  extreme  styles  in  clothing,  hats,  or  shoes,  is 
regarded  as  a  vain,  frivolous,  and  unsubstantial  man. 
But  the  salesman  who  wears  conservative  styles  of  good 
material  is  instantly  regarded  as  a  sensible,  prosperous, 
and  substantial  man,  who  is  entitled  to,  and  is  given, 
respect  wherever  he  goes. 

The  sole  object  of  a  salesman's  dress  should  be  to  com- 
mand respect,  not  to  create  admiration.  You  are  on  the 
road  to  persuade  business  men,  not  to  fascinate  or  attract 
the  attention  of  the  opposite  sex.  To  dress  poorly,  with 
the  object  of  influencing  sympathy,  is  foolish.  Ninety- 
nine  out  of  every  one  hundred  business  men  will  feel  that 
if  you  are  not  successful  enough  to  enable  you  to  wear 
clothes  becoming  your  position,  you  ought  to  seek  another 
occupation. 

Your  dress  is  part  of  your  capital.  Many  men,  through 
an  adverse  combination  of  circumstances,  have  been  re- 
duced to  pecuniary  embarrassment,  but  by  managing  to 
keep  up  their  dress  were  able  to  land  in  a  good  jxjsition. 

Keep  up  your  dress,  by  all  means,  but  let  it  be  like 
yourself — clean-cut  and  substantial. 

—162— 


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